Reminiscing the Kiss
by phlawere
Summary: First chap is a revisit of Inu and Kag's kiss. Epilogue up.
1. How It Started

Hello everyone! I'm going back to do a little bit of editing, now that the story's up and running. This was supposed to be a oneshot, but people like it-yay!-so I'm keeping it going. I originally said that additional chapters will be shorter than the first one, but apparently, I lied, b/c I think the 2nd chaps' shorter, and that's the only one that is. Oops-sorry. :) Ok-on to the editing! Disclaimer: I own all of the Inuyasha anime, movies, video games, and am starting on the manga, but Inuyasha himself does not belong to me. :(

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Kagome and Sango are walking along the dusty path, enjoying the late afternoon sunshine on their faces as they discuss their latest encounter with Naraku. Shippo and Kilala are playing on the hillside to their right, taking turns rolling each other in the soft grass. Miroku and Inuyasha are walking ahead of the girls, just within Inuyasha's hearing range, but the girls think that no one's listening... 

"It'll be okay, Sango. We'll get Kohaku back," Kagome says encouragingly to the demon slayer.

Sango sighs. "I know you're trying to make me feel better, Kagome, but he's still under Naraku's control." She looks down at the ground as tears fill her eyes. "I'm beginning to think he'll never return to me," Sango sniffles.

Kagome puts an her arm through other girl's before speaking. "We'll get him back, Sango. I...I don't want to give you false hope, but everytime we run into Kohaku..." Kagome looks at the slayer, who is watching her intently. "...I...I can't be _positive... _because so much is always happening, but I'm pretty sure that Kohaku's jewel shard is becoming less and less tainted." Sango stares at the miko with wide eyes. "It's not purified, but I think that means that Naraku has less control over him." Kagome looks at Sango with a worried expression. _Don't give up hope, Sango. Please..._

Slowly, Sango smiles at her friend before hugging her. "Thanks, Kagome. You know...I think you're right. You...you can see it in his eyes. They're losing the vacant look that I saw when Naraku first brought him back. It's like more of the Kohaku I knew is coming through." She smiles at Kagome again. "What would I do without you to talk to, Kagome?"

The miko laughs softly, grinning as she says, "You always have Miroku."

"Oh, yeah, right," the slayer says while rolling her eyes.

"What? Doesn't Miroku talk about stuff with you?" Kagome asks. Both of the them look at the monk, who is waving his staff at Inuyasha. The girls look at each other with raised eyebrows.

Sango shrugs her shoulders and sighs. "He tries. But you know how guys are--they have trouble understanding what _they're_ feeling, much less what others might be."

Kagome looks at a certain fuzzy-eared hanyou while saying, "I know what you mean." She sees Inuyasha's ears flick in their direction before facing forward again.

"Do you?" Sango asks, one eyebrow arched at the miko. Kagome blushes and looks down at her feet. The tajiya laughs and puts her arm around the younger girl's shoulders. "You two will figure it out." The miko sighs. Sango turns Kagome around to look at her directly. "I know you will," she says seriously.

Kagome looks at her friend. "Thank you, Sango," she says before hugging the girl.

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"They'll kill us if they find out, you know," Inuyasha tells the eagerly awaiting Miroku.

"Sshhh, you can't hear them if you're talking," the monk complains.

Inuyasha sighs. "Sango thinks she'll never get Kohaku back," he says sadly. He pauses for a moment. "We will. We'll make Naraku pay for everything he's done," he says through gritted teeth.

"I should go to her," Miroku says as he starts to turn around. "She needs me." His voice deepens in anger. "She needs to know that we'll do everything possible to get her brother away from that..."

Inuyasha interrupts Miroku before he turns. "She'll be okay. Kagome is with her."

Miroku gives the hanyou a semi-convinced look before relaxing a little and letting out the breath he'd been holding. "Remind me to talk to Sango later. Even though she's with Kagome, Sango still needs to know I'm here for her."

Inuyasha looks at the monk with surprise. "When did you become Mr. Sensitive?"

Miroku huffily retorts, "I'm in love, if you must know." Inuyasha raises his eyebrows further. Miroku waves his staff threateningly. "Look here, Inuyasha. I love Sango very much. I want to be there for her when she needs someone to lean on. Especially now, what with...are you listening to me?"

Inuyasha had flicked his ears back towards the girls when he heard the tone of Kagome's voice change. Sensing no danger, he swivels them back toward Miroku. "Yeah, I'm listening," he says gruffly. Miroku opens his mouth to start professing his love for Sango again when the hanyou says, " No... no, I'm not actually." He frowns in concentration.

Miroku, his annoyance at being ignored temporarily forgotten, whispers, "What are they talking about now?"

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"So, speaking of you two working it out, tell me about that kiss," Sango says while smiling mischievously.

Kagome blushes. "Oh, um..."

"Don't even try to get out of this. I've been waiting days--_days_--to talk to you about it without anybody around, and now's my chance, so _spill."_

Kagome looks at Miroku and Inuyasha, who have their heads together and seem to be discussing something, then over to Shippo and Kilala, who are still rolling each other down the hill, only now they are covered in stains with pieces of grass stuck in their hair. She smiles at them before looking at Sango. "Ok, what do you want to know?" Kagome says with a sigh.

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"Inuyasha, you're blushing," Miroku says with a grin. The half-demon glares at the monk. "I bet I can guess what they're talking about just by looking at your expression," the monk says, amused. "Stop me if I'm wrong, they're talking about you and Kagome, and..."

Inuyasha grabs Miroku by the front of his robes and pulls him closer while Miroku tries to loosen the hanyou's grip. "You just be quiet, Miroku. Don't go getting any ideas in that lecherous head of yours. Sango and Kagome don't talk...," Inuyasha stops abruptly. "Damn it!" he curses to himself as his face gets even redder.

"What? Miroku asks interestedly. The hanyou gives him an "I'll kill you if you make any comments" look before letting go of the hoshin's robes. "Come on Inuyasha, what're they talking about?"

Inuyasha runs his hands through his hair before replying. "The kiss," he says in a doomed voice.

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"What do I want to know?" Sango asks incredulously. "What _don't_ I want to know? How was it? Did you like it? Do you think he liked it? Do you want to do it again? What..."

"Okay, okay, one question at a time," Kagome says, putting up her hands to stop the onslaught. The slayer looks at her eagerly. "Where should I start?" the miko asks, blushing a little.

"Anywhere--just start talking," Sango says, hopping a bit with excitement.

"Ok, well, it was really...uh, _nice_, isn't exactly the right word..." Kagome thinks for a minute. She puts on a huge smile as she turns to face her friend. "I...I can't describe it, Sango," she says while blushing once again, her voice giddy. "Even with all the fighting, and Inuyasha changing, it was still...it was perfect. Amazing."

"Oooo..." Sango clasps her hands together while making sighing noises. Suddenly they see a cloud of dust ahead. Even Shippo and Kilala stop playing to see what the commotion is about. Miroku has Inuyasha pinned face-down under him, and both are struggling to get up. "What are they doing up there?" she wonders aloud as they curiously watch the boys.

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"Rrrggghhh, get off me, Miroku," Inuyasha grunts.

"I'm trying, but Tetsusaiga is tangled in my sleeve, and I'd like to keep it, if you don't mind," Miroku huffs.

"Fine, whatever, just hurry up, will ya? You're heavy," Inuyasha retorts.

"How exactly did we end up on the ground anyway, Inuyasha? Please refresh my memory," the monk asks as he unwinds that last of his sleeve from Inuyasha's sword and they both stand up, brushing off the accumulated dirt. The half-demon's cheeks start to burn as he and Miroku start walking again.

"Hey, you guys ok?" Shippo yells as he and Kilala start running up the hill again.

"We're fine, Shippo--just tripped over something," Miroku mumbles as he waves at the two demons. "So--why did you trip, Inuyasha?" he asks solemnly, while obviously trying to hide a smile.

Inuyasha turns a deeper shade of maroon before mumbling, "Kagome...the kiss...sh...she said that it was perfect, amazing...th...that there was no word to describe it."

Miroku grins widely at his friend, then frowns a little. "She really said that, 'no words to describe it' ?" he asks. The hanyou nods. "Huh."

"What?" Inuyasha asks, slightly alarmed.

"Nothing. It's...just...I've kissed a lot of girls...," Miroku pauses to glace back at Sango, as if he thinks she can hear what he's saying, but the girls are talking again. "...and I would never say that about one of mine." _But I haven't kissed Sango yet..._.. He turns back to the half-demon. "Fantastic, yes. Unforgettable, maybe. But I've never had one so good that I couldn't describe it," he says to the hanyou, who is now staring at his feet, waiting for the blush to leave his cheeks. "Kagome must really lo..." Miroku breaks off as Inuyasha frowns. _What now?_

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"Rrrgghhh. Sometimes I just want to "s...," Kagome grumbles.

"Better not say that," Sango warns.

"I know--he'd just get mad." Kagome stops walking and clenches her fists. "But sometimes I just want to "s..."

"KAGOME!" Sango says with more force. Kagome sighs.

"I know. But, what he said afterward," tears start to fill the miko's eyes. "Even if he didn't want me to, you don't say 'I didn't ask for it.' I...I didn't know what else to do. We weren't getting through. I...I thought we were gonna lose him."

Sango puts her hand on Kagome's shoulder. "I know. We all thought the same thing." She turns the younger girl to face her. "And it worked--didn't it? He came back and we took care of Kaguya, and all got away except..." Sango shakes her head before continuing. "Inuyasha's just an idiot, for saying what he did."

Kagome smiles a little. "Thanks, Sango. He does have his moments, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, usually a lot of them," the tajiya replies. Both girls laugh and walk in silence for a few minutes. "Kagome?"

"Hmmmm?"

"Despite the fact that he's an idiot sometimes," Sango pauses as if she's afraid to go on. "Would you do it again?"

Kagome blushes and looks at her shoes, then turns to Sango. "Uh-huh. But he would have to ask first."

"Huh?"

Kagome smiles playfully. "Because he said that he didn't ask the first time, so if he wanted to kiss me again, he would have to ask."

Sango stares at the young miko before laughing. "That's evil, Kagome. But would you really make him ask? You know how stubborn he is." She pauses. "Especially if he doesn't know you want to kiss him again."

Kagome sighs before responding. "That's just it. I'd like to kiss Inuyasha again, but I don't know if he wants to kiss me, particularly after that comment," she says, blowing her breath out, ruffling her bangs.

Sango tilts her head sideways while looking at Kagome. "You should make him do something."

A confused look comes across Kagome's features. "What do you mean?"

"Like...like, something to bring his pride down a bit. Something to show him how much his comment hurt," Sango says soberly.

"Oh--I see what you mean." Kagome thinks for a minute. "Like...Oooo...like, if he wants to kiss me, Inuyasha should get down on his knees in front of me, and place Tetsusaiga at my feet. Hmmm... Yeah, no way that's gonna happen," the miko says, shaking her head.

"That would be a good one, but you're right, there's no..." Sango stops walking as the words catch in her throat. She stares at a spot in front of Kagome.

"What is it?" Kagome asks as she turns around to see Inuyasha standing directly in front of her.

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"What did you say?" Inuyasha asks.

"Nevermind," Miroku says. "What are you frowning about?"

"Kagome wants to 'sit' me." An angry line appears on Inuyasha's forehead before quickly disappearing. He sighs as his ears droop. "It would have been for what I said later."

"Oh? You mean about not having asked Kagome to kiss you?" the monk asks. "That was really stupid, by the way. Even I know better than that."

Inuyasha glares at the hoshin before sighing again. "I know. I didn't know what I was doing at the time._ You_ wouldn't shut up about it because you were trying to get Sango to kiss you, and me and Kagome were getting more and more embarrassed and ...it just sorta slipped out."

"But, you didn't mean it, right?" Miroku asks tentatively.

"Well, _technically_...I didn't actually ask her to do it..." Miroku scowls at the half-demon. "Of course I didn't mean it!" Inuyasha retorts. "Kagome saved my life. She saved everyone fr... No telling what I would've done if Kagome hadn't brought me back to my senses."

"I agree. Kagome saved us all that day," Miroku says solemnly. The boys walk silently for a minute, until Inuyasha starts to scowl more-so than normal. "What now?"

"They're saying I'm an idiot," Inuyasha says flatly.

"Well, can you blame them?" Miroku asks innocently. The hanyou is glaring at him when his eyes suddenly open in shock and the color leaves his face. Miroku looks at his friend questioningly.

"Kagome. She...she wants to kiss me again," Inuyasha says in wonder.

Miroku smirks. "You're surprised?"

Inuyasha glares again. "But...I have to ask her," he frowns.

"Ask her?"

"Yeah. Because I said I didn't ask for it the first time."

"Oh. Well, I guess that makes sense," the monk says thoughtfully.

Inuyasha rolls his eyes at the priest and frowns in concentration, listening intently. "They don't think I'd do it." Inuyasha's face starts to get red as he gets angry. "Rrr...Sango..." he says, balling up his fists. Almost immediately Inuyasha calms down again and gives the now extremely confused Miroku a defeated look. "Brace yourself, Miroku, we're about to be found out," Inuyasha says as he turns around and jumps back toward the girls, landing directly in front of Kagome, the befuddled priest following at a safe distance.

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Kagome stares at Inuyasha. "Inu...what?" The girl gasps and her eyes widen as she openly gapes at what Inuyasha is doing. He slowly lowers himself until both his knees hit the ground, then withdraws Tetsusaiga from it sheath and places it at her feet. The hanyou raises his eyes to Kagome's shocked expression and waits...

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Kagome can't speak. She takes a step back as if she needs to get a better view of the situation, and makes an attempt to say something, but no sound comes out of her mouth. She looks at Sango, who is wearing the same expression. _How did he...?_ The miko finds her voice as anger floods through her. Turning back to Inuyasha, she says with deadly calm, "You've been eavesdropping." The half-demon simply nods. Kagome narrows her eyes at him. _I should sit him right now for that! How dare he...and I bet Miroku knows, too..._

She glances up as the monk comes walking up next to Sango, who promptly smacks him on the head with her Hiraikotsu. "You two have been listening when you shouldn't," she says, her anger obvious.

"Hey, what's going on? Why's Inuyasha sitting like that?" Shippo asks as he and Kilala come running up, Shippo hopping onto Miroku's shoulder, Kilala onto Sango's.

"These two were eavesdropping on a _private_ conversation," Sango says.

"Uh-oh," Shippo says. He cocks his head sideways before asking, "But why is Inuyasha on the ground?"

"I don't know that, he stopped telling me what the girls were saying after they said he wouldn't ask Kagome to kiss him," Miroku says, while rubbing the sore spot on the back of his head.

Inuyasha and Kagome blush deeply at this comment, while Sango quickly explains the end of the conversation, after which the two of them redden even more.

"Sango!" Kagome yells.

"They might as well know the end, especially if..." Sango trails off while giving Kagome a look that confuses the others.

Kagome glares at her friend. _She actually thinks I'd...after..._Sango looks Kagome straight in the eyes, then at Inuyasha sitting on the ground, then back at Kagome. Kagome is confused. _What's she trying to tell...? _Kagome gasps. She gapes at Sango as a small smile spreads on the demon slayer's face. _He...he...that's why he's... _She stares at Inuyasha as she realizes why he's sitting before her. The hanyou is still watching her, although now he's shifting slightly, his knees hurting from staying in that position. Kagome doesn't know what to do. She looks at Inuyasha, then to Sango, then back at the half-demon. Finally, a grin starts to spread on her features as she looks back at the tajiya.

Sango says, "You know Kagome's going to 'sit' you after this--don't you?"

Inuyasha's ears droop slightly as Sango says "sit". Then, confused, he turns back to Kagome. "Wait, wh..."

But the words are lost in his throat as Kagome quickly leans against the boy, wrapping her arms around his neck, and kissing him passionately. Inuyasha--still somewhat lost--simply freezes for a second before he realizes what's going on. _Kagome... _He wraps his arms around the girl's waist and pulls her closer while kissing back intensely. They stay like that for a few moments, until...

_SMACK!_ Inuyasha and Kagome reluctantly break apart and turn to Sango and Miroku, the latter of whom now has a rather red imprint of a hand on his cheek. "Serves you right," Sango says as she crosses her arms. "Trying to get something out of this," she says angrily.

"But, Sango," Miroku whines. "We're engaged and we haven't even kissed yet," he says while rubbing his cheek.

"You will never learn," she says while starting to walk again, Miroku following with a depressed look on his face. She smiles and winks at Kagome and Inuyasha as she passes.

"What was all that about?" Shippo asks, looking back.

"I'll explain it when you're older, Shippo," Sango replies as they walk, Miroku still complaining about kisses and getting slapped.

Kagome looks at Inuyasha again before standing up straight. The hanyou stays where he is. "Why aren't you getting up?" the miko asks.

"It will hurt less if I'm closer to the ground," Inuyasha replies.

Kagome smiles a little. "I'm not gonna do it this time." The half-demon brightens a little. "But no more listening in on private conversations," she says sternly, "or I will 'si...' The priestess doesn't get to finish her sentence as Inuyasha jumps up, grabs Kagome, and kisses her again. As he pulls away from her, both their eyes bright, cheeks slightly flushed, Kagome says, "You didn't ask that time," with a teasing look. Inuyasha grins and kisses her again. "I'm in trouble, aren't I?" she asks breathlessly when they finally break apart.

"Hey, you guys coming?" Miroku yells, while shaking his head, the others grinning goofily behind him.

"Yeah, we're coming," Inuyasha mumbles while picking up Tetsusaiga. He grabs Kagome's hand as the two start after the others, leaning over to brush his lips over Kagome's cheek as he whispers. "Yes..."


	2. The Accident

Yay! People like the story. :) Hooray! This chapter is for the people who read the first chapter and put me on their alert list. I've moved some stuff around so I can't remember who you are, but thank-you. Ok, on with the story! Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, but I'll claim him if she'll let me.

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"Guys! Look out!" Sango yells as she and Kilala dodge to the right, out of the way of a large rock.

Miroku and Shippo jump to the left while Inuyasha grabs Kagome and backs away from the mouth of the cave. One of the twin goat demons is standing in front of the opening, throwing boulders that its brother is kicking down from the cliff above, while also throwing rocks himself.

"Which one has a jewel shard?" Inuyasha yells to Kagome as he uses Tetsusaiga to split a large boulder coming at them. _We need to get this done_, Inuyasha thinks as he glares at the setting sun.

Kagome ducks behind him as the rock shatters and hundreds of pieces go flying past the two of them. She peers around the hanyou's shoulder, focusing on the demon in front of the cave. "The one by the cave has a shard in his stomach..." Kagome glances to the one on the cliff. "...the one above has one in his forehead." She closes her eyes as Inuyasha breaks another boulder that has come hurtling their way. "That's all I sense--just those two!"

"Alright then!" Miroku yells as he removes the prayer beads from his right hand. "WIND TUNNEL!" Dozens of rocks of all sizes go flying into his hand, effectively stripping the goat demons of their ammo. The last stone, a particulary large one with sharp edges, gets stuck, half-in and half-out of the wind tunnel, before it's finally sucked in. "Aaahhh!" Miroku screams in pain as he quickly wraps the prayer beads around his wrist.

"What's wrong, Miroku?" Shippo asks as the kitsune hops from the monk's shoulder to the ground, where Miroku is now kneeling.

"Sharp...edges...tore...," Miroku gasps out.

Shippo grabs his friend's hand in his small ones and yells to the others. "That last rock hurt Miroku's wind tunnel! He can't use it anymore!"

Sango nods, worry in her brown eyes. "Right! We'll take care of 'em now! HIRAITKOTSU!" she yells, while throwing her weapon at the demon above the cave.

At the same time, Inuyasha yells, "WINDSCAR!" and releases his swords' attack at the demon in front of the cave.

The two attacks hit almost simultaneously, obliterating both demons within seconds of one another. As the group watches the demons remains float away on the breeze, Kagome sees the jewel shard that belonged to the upper demon drift down to land next to its fellow. She starts toward the cave, slinging her bow and backpack over her shoulder, and eyes the opening warily. _It seems stable, despite the recent attacks..._ Inuyasha sheaths Tetsusaiga as he follows the miko.

Kilala flies over to Miroku, where the young demon slayer quickly dismounts and kneels to check on her fiance. "I think he'll be okay, as long as he doesn't use..." Sango stops as she feels a hand on her backside. Her face goes red with anger and embarrassment, before a resounding slap echoes around the area.

"Miroku will be fine," Shippo says, rolling his eyes as he looks at the handprint forming on the monk's face.

Inuyasha sighs and shakes his head while Kagome grins at the couple, the sun illuminating them from behind. _So in love..._she thinks as she gazes back at Inuyasha. He sees the look and returns a quizzical one, but makes no comment. As they reach the mouth of the cave, Kagome reaches down and picks up the two shards of the Sacred Jewel, adding them to the ones already hanging around her neck. As she turns back toward Inuyasha, they hear a loud roar above the cave and the ground starts to shake.

"Kagome!" Sango yells, while she and the others stare at something above their heads.

Kagome and Inuyasha look up to see the top and insides of the mouth of the cave crashing down on them. Kagome gasps as Inuyasha dives at her, sending them both tumbling inside the cave as the opening collapses, shutting out all light. Kagome sits up, but she can't see anything. She feels Inuyasha beside her, and knows that because of his demon blood, he can probably still see, or, more likely, _smell,_ the opening. _I hope..._

"Don't move!" Inuyasha yells as he runs over to the entrance, unsheathing Tetsusaiga along the way.

_Please hurry Inuyasha. It's so close to sundown..._

Kagome hears another roar, and a crash inside the cave as pieces of rock and dust rain over her. As Kagome uncurls from the ball she had rolled in to protect herself, she tentatively calls out Inuyasha's name. "Inuyasha?"

Silence.

"Inuyasha?" she says a little louder.

Still nothing.

Fear grips Kagome as she removes her bow, quiver, and backpack, fumbling in the last for a flashlight. She finds it and switches it on, swinging the beam towards the cave entrance. She can't see anything at first because of all the dust particles in the air, and Kagome coughs a few times as a result. As the light moves across the fallen rock, Kagome sees a pair of red hakamas and bare feet, as well as the rusty form of Tetsusaiga. Above Inuyasha's waist, there's only rock.

"INUYASHA!" Kagome screams, propelling herself off the ground and running towards him. She drops the flashlight and begins pushing rocks off the half-demon. The first rock she moves uncovers a strand of dark hair. _Oh, no..._

Kagome digs faster, pushing with more strength than she thought she had. As Kagome uncovers Inuyasha's head and neck, she can already see cuts and bruises forming. A small river of blood is winding its way toward her knees as the miko finishes removing the remaining rocks from Inuyasha's body. She lets out a cry of despair and tears fill her eyes.

Inuyasha's human head of dark hair is matted with blood, and there are two huge gashes--one on his neck, one on his head--that are bleeding freely. Dust and small stones have collected in both of them, as well as covered his face and hands. Most of his fingers are black and blue, and one of his wrists seems broken. A single tear slides down her cheek...


	3. Defeat and Determination

Okay everybody! Here is chapter three! I stayed up late to write this, so everybody better like it! Ugh...get to go to bed now. Oh-I'm not sure how the kosode is supposed to be worn, but I'm imagining it as sort of an undershirt/wear sort of a combo, so Inuyasha isn't actually naked at that point. I bet everybody's gonna read the story now-huh? Ok, well, enjoy! Disclaimer: Inuyasha isn't mine, but I'll take him home if no one else wants him.

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"Kagome!" Sango yells as she, Miroku, Kilala, and Shippo watch in horror as the entrance to the cave crumbles on their friends. They see the miko and hanyou look up, then Inuyasha dives at Kagome, sending both of them deeper into the cave as the opening is blocked.

"Nngggttt..." The demon slayer makes a gutteral noise as she focuses on their more immediate problem. Standing on the cliff above the cave is what Sango assumes is the previous demons' mother, because it lacks the beard seen on the twins. _That must be her true form..._

The she-goat is several times bigger than her deceased kids were, coming close to Sesshomaru's size when he is transformed. Like Kilala, the she-goat has flames coming off her hooves, only they're blue, and thick white fur flows around her body, swaying in an invisible wind. She shakes her head and roars, swinging massive, curled horns, before stamping her front hoof once, and jumping to the ground in front of the cave.

"NO!" Shippo yells as they see more boulders fall from the top of the cliff, separating them even more from their friends.

"We need to defeat that demon first," Miroku says calmly as he stands. The others nod in agreement and prepare themselves for battle.

"Are you sure you can fight?" Sango asks.

"Yes, as long as I don't use the wind tunnel," the monk replies, making a slightly disgusted face. "My hand still hurts, but I'll deal with it. It wasn't the saimyosho, after all." Miroku gives Sango a wide grin.

Sango cheeks redden at Miroku's attempt to lighten the mood before she assumes a battle stance, her face a mask of determination.

The she-goat charges, scattering the small group as she brings her front two hooves down where they had been standing only seconds before, leaving a huge depression in the ground.

Noticing that the small, insignificant group has separated, the goat demon focuses on the woman dressed in black, holding a large curved object, while a ..._fox? badger? what kind of demon is that?..._small demon-child whispers in her ear. "Why even bother to fight? There's no way you puny humans can beat me. You'll pay for what you did to my sons!" the she-goat growls, preparing to lunge at Sango and Shippo.

"TRANSFORM!" Shippo yells, as he disappears and a small, funny-looking, pony-like creature gallops toward the bigger demon.

The goat-demon pauses in her attack. _What the...?_ The tiny horse gallops under the demons' belly and proceeds to bump into all of her legs, apparently trying to knock her down. The demon twists her head to stare at the strange creature. "You have got to be kidding me...," she mumbles to herself. "...this fight is..."

"HIRAITKOTSU!" The pony vanishes in a puff of smoke as the demon whips her head towards the sound. The large curved object is flying towards her, small pieces of paper with writing on them fluttering along its length.

It dawns on the she-goat that the tiny horse was a distraction. _Fox..._ "Filthy trickster!" she yells as she looks beyond the incoming weapon to see that the small demon and the woman have joined the monk on the back of the flying demon cat. Shifting her gaze to the weapon, she realizes too late that the object is capable of destroying her. The she-goat roars her anger and lowers her horns, catching the hiraitkotsu with them.

As it hits, Miroku's sacred sutra's take effect, sending bolts of electricity through the demon. The combination of the monk's spell and the demon slayer's weapon prove too much for her. The momentum pushes the she-goat back, felling several trees in the process. She uses all of her strength trying to stop the attack, but finally gives in and collapses under the assault.

Sango's hiraitkotsu runs down the back of the she-goat, curves around a few trees, and returns to its owner, who is now flying towards the ground with the others. They watch as the huge goat demon vanishes in a whirl of multi-colored particles, sighing--relieved--as they realize the fight is over.

"Now...," Miroku says, turning towards the cave.

"No, it's dark now." Sango interrupts. "We'd never be able to see if we're helping clear the entrance or making it worse. It's better to wait until morning, that way we're less likely to also hurt ourselves in the process."

Shippo sighs as the four of them walk to a sheltered spot under the trees. _Good night Kagome, Inuyasha. Be safe. _

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"Oh, Inuyasha," Kagome says, yanking her red kerchief off and wiping some of the dirt and blood from his face before tying it around his neck. He coughs weakly in response. The pitiful sound brings more tears to Kagome's eyes_. I can't do this now, I have to be strong for Inuyasha, _she thinks, quickly wiping the tears away.

Kagome hears another roar coming from outside the cave, sending small rocks raining down on the two of them. She instantly covers Inuyasha with her arms and torso, shielding him from the debris. "I've gotta move him before there's another cave-in," she says, grabbing Tetsusaiga and the flashlight and running over to her bow and backpack. She drops the sword and positions the flashlight so that the light shines toward Inuyasha. Figuring that she probably can't carry him, Kagome grabs a blanket and an extra sock and runs back to the hanyou.

Stepping carefully to avoid tripping over anything..._It won't help us any if I get injured, too..._ Kagome clears the area next to Inuyasha of debris and spreads the blanket out next to him. She quickly wraps the sock around his injured wrist, hoping that she isn't doing any more damage, and being as careful as she can with him, pushes and pulls until she finally gets Inuyasha on the blanket. "Yep, there's...no...way...(pauses, deep breath, pulls some more to position his legs)...I could carry him without something to help me," Kagome finishes, gasping for air.

"Inuyasha, you gotta lose some weight...," Kagome says out loud as she grabs the edge of the blanket and begins pulling him farther inside the cave. "Or maybe...(grunt)... I need to lift some weights...," she says, trying to keep herself from being nervous. It's very eerie being alone in a cave, at night, with no light, no exit, and your only companion is unconscious. _Well, when you put it that way..._

Kagome finally gets Inuyasha back to her stuff, where she immediately plops down beside him to rest. Gasping, she wonders, _What do I do now?_

As Kagome catches her breath, she mentally makes a list of what she has to do. _First, make sure we're well away from the unstable area, so we don't get caught in another collapse. _

Kagome stands up, picking up the flashlight and swinging it back towards the cave-in, along the walls, and up at the ceiling. She guesses that they're about 25 to 30 feet from where Inuyasha had been, and the rock looks fairly stable. _No cracks, a few small rocks that look like they might fall...okay for the moment, but..._ Kagome aims her light at the back of the cave.

The beam falls on an an elevated portion of the floor, sort of a mini-plateau, that sits up against the back wall. Shining the light along the walls and ceiling as she walks, Kagome estimates that the plateau is another 50 feet from where she left Inuyasha, and that the area back here is much more stable: there are no cracks in the walls and no loose rocks in the ceiling. Plus the rock also seems to be harder, unlike what surrounded the opening. _Maybe marble or granite..._.

When she reaches the plateau, Kagome reaches down and touches it, surprised to find that it's smooth to the touch, and almost uniform across it's entire width. _About 8 feet by...6 feet...and about 2 feet high...that'll work._

She glances around the sides of plateau, estimating that the total width of the cave back here is close to 20 feet, having narrowed by about half its width since the opening. Looking carefully for another entrance, in case Inuyasha can't use the Tetsusaiga if..._when_...he wakes up, Kagome doesn't see any openings larger than a few inches.

Having finished her scrutiny of the cave, Kagome walks quickly back to Inuyasha to begin cleaning his wounds. When she's about halfway there, her flashlight lands on a darker portion of the floor. When she reaches it, Kagome is surprised to find a small stream of water that runs from one side of the cave to the other. _How did I miss that?_

Kagome shines her light to her right, where the stream gets larger, ending in a puddle at the base of the cave wall, before it exits the cave through a tiny crack in the wall. Aiming the beam in the other direction, Kagome follows the stream as it gets smaller and smaller, becoming almost non-existent toward the center of the cave.

At the center, Kagome discovers a sort of "bridge," about 3 feet wide, crossing the "stream," the drop being at least four feet. She shivers. _I was looking at the ceiling. I could've broken my ankle if I fell off that..._ Kagome shivers again. _Thank Kami..._ Continuing on to the other side of the cave, she sees a similar widening of the stream, coming up on another puddle at the base of this wall, and she can see tiny rivulets of water flowing down the walls. Kagome looks up, but the ceiling is too far away to see.

"Right. At least now I have water to work with...that'll help in getting Inuyasha cleaned up," she says as she quickly returns to the hanyou. He's still unconscious, but his breathing has steadied somewhat.

_Next, get Inuyasha cleaned up and wrap his head, wrist, and other injuries..._ "Thank goodness that little tour didn't take that long--only about 5 minutes." Kagome sighs as she rummages in her pack. "I'm going to be talking to myself a lot over the next few hours--aren't I?" _Oh, great...I'm already doing it!_ "Well, at least it keeps me from worrying..."

Kagome glances at Inuyasha before hurrying to the pool at "their" side of the cave--the "outgoing" side. She fills two empty bottles with water and soaks 3 rags in it, using most of the what's there. She glances at the much smaller pool worredly before returning to Inuyasha. _I hope that refills quickly..._

As her flashlight falls on face, Inuyasha gives a little moan, and tries to say Kagome's name. "Kaa...ka...go..." Dropping everything onto the blanket, Kagome drops to her knees beside him.

"Inuyasha? Inuyasha!? Are you there? Hello?!" she says, her voice getting higher in pitch as she talks. Afraid of causing anymore injury, Kagome refrains from shaking his shoulders, but simply cups his face in her hands.

"Inuyasha?" she whispers, tears forming on her lashes again. But he's already unconscious.

Growling and wiping her face, Kagome pivots on her knees to retrieve the items she drops before mumbling, "I'm gonna have to have a talk with him about making me worry. I know he's doing this on purpose!" She glances back at his face, still covered with dust. It takes all her strength not to burst into tears.

Biting the inside of her cheek to force back any outbursts, Kagome takes one of the rags and proceeds to wipe all the dirt away from Inuyasha's face and neck, paying special attention to the wound as she removes her blood-soaked kerchief. _Never gonna get that out..._The wound isstill bleeding, but thankfully it's not very deep, and after rummaging in her pack for bandages, Kagome wraps gauze around his neck, enclosing the wound.

Moving on to his head, Kagome pours the two bottles of water over his hair, trying to get the blood out. "I can't see...anything," she growls. "This would be much easier if you're hair was silver again," she says, taking the flashlight out of her mouth, since she needs both hands to work. Sighing at the lack of response, Kagome grabs the bottles, and finding a third hiding at the bottom of her pack, refills them and rinses and resoaks the rags and her kerchief before trying again.

This time, the water starts out red, but soon changes to a light pink. Kagome runs her hand through his hair, along his scalp, trying to find where he had been cut. The wound ends up being on the back of his head, almost to his neck. It, too, is still bleeding, and..._Thank Kami, again..._not very deep. She feels his head for bumps and finds 3 quite large ones, as well as a large bruise on the back of his neck. _No wonder he's unconscious,_ she thinks, worried_. They're not cuts, but still... _She wraps his head in gauze, winding it around the back and across his forehead, just under his bangs, where she had noticed several smaller cuts earlier. _It won't hurt anyting to wrap them, too..._

Moving on to his hands and fingers, Kagome removes the sock before checking each finger to see if it's broken. All ten are fine, just severaly bruised, and his left wrist is fine, but she's pretty sure the right one is broken. Using another rag to clean them off first, Kagome gently wipes both hands and arms to the elbows, and wraps his wrist securely with an athletic bandage. _I'll have to thank mom later for throwing that in my pack last time I was home._

Deciding that she can't leave his fingers out in the open, Kagome wraps each one individually with a few turns of the gauze, before bundling the fingers together, leaving his thumbs free. When she finishes, Kagome looks down at Inuyasha. She lets out a tired laugh. "You're turning into a mummy, Inuyasha." He moans and coughs at hearing her voice.

"Inuyasha?" He coughs again. Kagome tilts her head, trying to figure out why he's coughing all of a sudden.

As she looks through the beam of the flashlight, the dust particles catch her eye. "Damn it!" Kagome blushes as she imagines what Inuyasha's reaction would be to her using curses, as she reaches for the last bottle of water and scoots behind him to lift him onto her lap. Tilting his head back, she pours the water down his throat, a little at a time, rubbing his adam's apple in an attempt to get him to swallow. He drinks all of it, and his coughing subsides.

_I should probably do the same_, she thinks, as she sets him down and returns to the pool to refill the bottles. She gulps down a few handfuls before returning to him.

Hesitating a second before committing to the action, Kagome strips Inuyasha of his hitoe and hakamas and peels his kosode to his waist. She wipes and bandages the few cuts and bruises on his chest and stomach before turning him over. She gasps. His entire back is covered with bruises. Most of the cuts are small, and she cleans and bandages those, but can't do anything for the bruises. _Hopefully you'll wake up soon and can take an aspirin or something for the pain..._

Kagome blinks back tears before focusing on his legs. She blushes, thinking of what she has to do next. _It has to be done_...she pushes the bottom part of his kosode up to the inside of his thighs, checking for injuries along the way. Seeing only a few minor cuts, she wipes them down, but doesn't worry about bandaging them. Turning him onto his back again, she checks the front parts of his legs, but doesn't see anything on this side.

Eyeing the portion of Inuyasha still under the kosode, Kagome decides that he couldn't possibly be injured _there_, and goes on to his feet. They're just covered with dust, and she wipes them off quickly.

Standing back up, Kagome stretches, and gathers everything but Tetsusaiga, dropping the bottles, rags, her kercheif that she has dubbed a rag, and Inuyasha's clothes by the pool of water on her way to the plateau. Coming back to the pool, she refills the bottles before rinsing out the rags and wringing them. Picking up Inuyasha's clothes, she beats them in the air, getting as much dust and dirt off as she can. Checking them for blood, she's surprised to only find some on the collar of his hitoe, where his neck had been cut. She rinses it off quickly, grabs the bottles and rags, and takes them back to the plateau.

Noticing that a chill has crept into the cave, she doubles his hitoe on itself, putting as much material between him and the floor of the cave. She's going to use his hakamas as a blanket, along with an actual one she just found that her mother had snuck in her pack. _I owe you big time_...

Going back to Inuyasha, Kagome resheaths Tetsusaiga before picking up the edges of the blanket he's lying on. Grunting and gasping, it takes Kagome about 15 minutes and 3 rest stops to get Inuyasha to the plateau, and another 10 to get him up on it and positioned on his hitoe, with his hakamas over him, and Tetsusaiga laying by his side. Kagome wants to rest, but makes herself go rinse out the blanket before laying it across the "bridge" to dry.

Finally finishing with her work, and having Inuyasha clean and wrapped, Kagome sits down and takes a long drink from one of the bottles. As she goes for another one, she notices Inuyasha shivering. She frowns and throws the blanket over him, hoping he'll warm up. She sits down again and finishes the bottle. Cleaning off the dust that had collected on her arms, Kagome has moved on to her face and neck when she hears chattering. Looking down at Inuyasha, she see's he's still shivering.

She sighs._ And_ _I thought this couldn't get any more embarrassing,_ she thinks, her mind flashing back to the First Aid and Safety class she took her freshman year, that said that body heat was the quickest way to warm someone up.

She finishes cleaning up, quickly brushing her hair out, strips to her underwear, and lays down next to Inuyasha, pulling the blanket and hakamas up over their heads before turning off the flashlight.

She doesn't notice the prescence watching her from above.


	4. Turning Point

Hello everybody! Here's the next part of Kiss. Or actually, some backstory on it. I was thinking about what I was going to have happen, and realized that my timeline was off and that I needed to explain some things that I thought would be confusing. In case anybody's still confused, I'll put the order in which things occurred and how far apart they were at the end of the chapter. Well, enjoy! (Hopefully!)

* * *

Kagome wasn't sleeping. She was exhausted from having cleaned and moved Inuyasha, but she was too worried to sleep. Kagome lay with her head on Inuyasha's chest, listening to his steady breathing and strong heartbeat. She sighed. Inuyasha still hadn't woken up.

_At least he's stopped shivering. I guess that body heat thing really works._ Kagome blushes slightly as she wonders what Inuyasha would think if he woke up, felt Kagome next to him, and realized that neither of them was wearing very much. _I know we've gotten closer, but he'd probably think this was a little too close. Thank goodness he's not like Miroku..._

Kagome was drawing her hand over Inuyasha's chest and stomach, rubbing small circles into his skin. _When Sota was small, this always worked if he had a stomach-ache or was scared. I think it's some kind of comfort thing. Mom used to say she did this to me when I was a baby, too, not that I really remember anything besides her being there._

Kagome inhales deeply, then slowly lets the breath out, feeling the small hairs on Inuyasha's stomach stand up as goosebumps rise on his skin. Kagome smiles and rubs her hand across the area, warming it, then gently kisses his stomach. She feels more bumps where her lips met his skin, and blinks in surprise. _Can he...does he know I'm here?_

Kagome feels for the flashlight she's laid next to them, and places her other hand over Inuyasha's eyes while shutting hers as tight as she can. Bright light floods the small space under the blankets. Kagome waits a few seconds to let her eyes adjust before opening them.

Inuyasha is still sleeping. The light didn't even cause a reaction when she removed her hand, though she wasn't going to chance shining it directly at his face. _Huh...I wonder..._ Kagome thinks as she switches off the light again, trying to preserve the battery as much as possible.

Kagome lays down again, taking a few moments to get back into the position she was before. Once situated, she absentmindedly traces her finger around Inuyasha's belly-button, smiling when she feels his muscles tense. _I remember when I found out he was ticklish..._

Kagome giggles, then sighs, recalling the incident...

--------------------B---E---G---I---N------------F---L---A---S---H---B---A---C---K------------------

"Hey guys!" Kagome says, walking up to Miroku and Sango, who are sitting outside Kaede's hut. Miroku stares at Kagome before getting flipped on the ear by Sango. Both of them have bruises and various bandages on their arms, legs, and faces.

"What's with the clothes?" the demon slayer asks calmly, glaring at the monk, who is now rubbing his ear.

Kagome is not wearing her schoolgirl uniform or loafers. Instead, she has on a pair of not-very-long blue-jean shorts, a bright pink tank top with the word "COOL" written on it in sparkly print, flip-flops in a lighter shade of pink, and her dark hair up in a high ponytail, with a bandage wrapped around her head. There are also bandages and small bruises on her arms and legs. Her tell-tale yellow schoolbag is thrown over her shoulder, and appears to be full.

"For what I think I'm gonna have to do, I needed to wear clothes other than my normal stuff--something I wouldn't mind if they got messed up," Kagome responds.

Sango and Miroku give her confused looks before Sango asks, "How're you feeling?"

Kagome smiles at the concern on their faces. "Much better. I should pretty much be back to normal in a couple of days. Where's Inuyasha?"

The monk and the demon slayer each give Kagome a small smile, obviously relieved, before groaning at her question. Miroku twitches. "He's behind the hut. He was out here with us, but we made him leave because he couldn't stop scratching," Sango says. "He was driving us crazy."

"Who was?" Shippo asks as he and Kilala exit the hut, both of them staring at Kagome before they sit down. "Are you okay, Kagome?" Shippo asks. He and the demon-cat are also sporting bandages from their recent encounter.

"I'm fine Shippo," she says, patting the child on the head. _We're lucky we all made it out alive. Well..._ Kagome thinks, glancing quickly towards the hut before responding. "Inuyasha was driving them crazy. You two haven't been around him, have you?" The kitsune and nekomata shake their heads. "Good. Don't go near him until I say it's okay," Kagome says, removing her bag from her shoulder and rummaging through it.

"Why?" Miroku asks. "I know he was annoying us, but..."

"He's got fleas, guys," Kagome says, pulling chocolate bars and suckers out of her bag for the two humans and the kitsune, and cat treats and a carton of cream for Kilala. The others stare at her, wide-eyed. _These should help everybody to feel better about all the activity over the past few days--at least a little bit. _

"Thank-you. But, how can he..." Sango starts to say, while opening the cream for Kilala, who purrs her thanks and licks Kagome's hand.

"He got them from Buyo, my cat. You're welcome, Shippo," she says as the tiny fox-demon hugs her leg while stuffing chocolate in his mouth. "Inuyasha was tortur--playing with him last night and had started scratching before we went to bed. No comments, Miroku," Kagome says as the monk opens his mouth.

Miroku snorts. "I was just going to say thank-you for the candy," he retorts. Sango and Kagome exchange a look. _Yeah, right._

"Anyway, we found Buyo this morning, hiding behind the dryer--the machine that dries clothes--" she explains after seeing their confused looks, "...fur everywhere. I think he's lost half of his coat trying to get rid of the little suckers." Kagome pauses, then grins at her unintentional joke. "Mom normally has a new flea collar for him every month, and checks the house to make sure that something like this doesn't happen. We weren't sure if our fleas like half-demons or not. Apparently they do. Inuyasha left early this morning, grumbling and scratching all the way to the well."

"We wondered why he was back so soon. I thought he was gonna come back with you, since he doesn't want to let you out of his sight now, and you weren't supposed to be back until tomorrow evening," Sango says, taking her sucker out of her mouth to talk.

"Why is it such a problem? Aren't the fleas like Myoga?" Shippo asks. "Can't you just ask them to leave?"

Kagome smiles, thinking of Inuyasha's protectiveness, then she frowns. "No," she says depressedly. "They're not demons, for one thing, so you can't talk to them, and they're much smaller than Myoga. Once an animal, or any kind of bedding material or clothing, for that matter, has been infested, it's really, really difficult to get rid of them. They multiply rapidly and once they find a host they like, they're very reluctant to leave."

"So what's going to happen to Inuyasha?" Shippo asks in a worried voice.

Kagome smiles and puts her hand on Shippo's head. He looks up at her with wide eyes.

"He's gonna be fine; I'm gonna take care of him," she says softly. "When I'm finished with Inuyasha, I'll have to go back home to wash some stuff and get supplies and other things. So once I leave, it'll probably still be tomorrow night before I'm back again."

"Is Inuyasha going with you?" Miroku asks as Kagome turns to walk around the hut.

"Probably, because of everything's that's happened lately, and..." Kagome pauses to add suspense to her next words, "... because I'm taking his clothes away," she tells the monk with a smile as she turns the corner.

Sango's hand connects with the monks' face before he can get the first word out.

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Inuyasha is miserable. _This is just what I DON'T need!_ _The evil little..._ he thinks, scratching his arms, then his legs, his back, his head..._Aaarrggghhh! _The biting is getting to him. Being half dog-demon, he's been bitten by fleas before, but this was ridiculous. _They're driving me crazy!_ He lets out a combination of a growl and a whine as he tries to scratch the area between his shoulder blades, which is just out of his reach. He's so distracted in his effort, that it takes him a second to realize that someone _else_ is scratching his back. He stops moving and sighs, dropping his head, and relishes the fact that he can rest for a second.

Suddenly a voice says, "Give me your hoari, and change into these," while an arm thrusts a pair of swimming trunks in front of him.

Inuyasha turns and stares at Kagome, blushing as he sees what she's wearing. Then he gets angry, realizing that she caught him like this--suffering because of tiny bugs, and completely unaware of his surroundings. _Does she think she can tell me what to do now?! I'm perfectly fine!_

"Why should I?" he snaps, reaching down to scratch his stomach. "It was your stupid cat that got me into this mess!"

Inuyasha sees an strange expression in Kagome's eyes before they harden and she turns around to leave. "Fine. Figure a way out of this by yourself." She starts to walk away, muttering under her breath.

Inuyasha argues with himself about whether to keep his pride and suffer, or give in and accept Kagome's help.

It's not a long debate.

"Wait..." Kagome stops at the corner of the hut, but doesn't turn around.

"I...I...," Inuyasha swallows. _Damn it! Why is this such a hard thing to do?! _"I'm sorry, Kagome. For snapping at you...and for...before...it's just...," he stammers, stopping to scratch frantically at his thighs. He whines pitifully.

Kagome walks over and takes his hands in hers, looking into amber eyes that are currently filled with pain, distress, and ...sadness. Her eyes soften. Ignoring the mention of the past few days, she concentrates on the problem at hand. "Do you promise to do everything I tell you? Without arguing?" Inuyasha hesitates a moment, but then nods in agreement. Kagome smiles. "Okay, then. Give me your haori and change into these," she says, handing him the swimming trunks. "Come down to the river when you're done; bring your clothes with you," Kagome orders, standing and pulling a sucker from her pocket, unwrapping and offering it to him. Inuyasha gives Kagome a small smile before taking the candy.

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Kagome is wearing gloves and a mask, to protect herself from the powder that she's working into Inuyasha's haori. _I figured that's where most of them were hiding,_ she thinks, almost literally watching the fleas escape the now noxious piece of clothing. She sees Inuyasha approaching and her mouth drops open behind the mask. The past week had made Kagome forget how good Inuyasha looked.

She stares. There were a few cuts and bruises still in the healing process, the way it was for all of them, but other than that, Inuyasha was ..._whoa..._ Kagome starts at his feet, taking in lean calves and thighs, smallish hips, tight abs, a broad chest, wide shoulders, and perfectly muscled arms. _It's all that running around we do..._Kagome gulps. She always thought he was cute, especially with the ears, but why hadn't she noticed this before! And where was she a few weeks ago?!

As Kagome watches the slight breeze lift his hair and blow it around his face, she focuses on his eyes--a sparkling amber color that pulls you in and never lets go--as they lock with hers. She blushes behind the mask as Inuyasha fights to hide a smile, having caught her staring. _Oh, great. Just what he needs--a bigger ego!_

Kagome quickly takes off the gloves and mask, throwing them in a trash bag, and yells at Inuyasha to stop where he is. She walks over to him, desperately fighting to conceal the color on her cheeks. "Just drop your clothes here, I'll get them in a minute. Do you feel any better, having taking your clothes off?" Kagome asks, while trying not to blush anymore at what she's just said.

Inuyasha drops his hakamas and kosode on the ground and nods, a smile and relief evident on his face as he finishes his sucker.

"I figured as much. They liked you for, uh..._food_, but most took up residence in your clothes. There's no telling how many fleas are on them. Robe of the Fire Rat, indeed," Kagome says, gazing down at the clothes.

"Can you get them out?" Inuyasha asks, worry in his voice. Those were his father's robes, handed down to him by his mother. He would be devastated if something happened to them.

Kagome turns back to the hanyou, a reassuring smile on her face. "Yes. They should be fine," she says, reading Inuyasha's expression. "You haven't had the little biters for very long, so as long as we get them out soon, your robes should be fine. Though it may take a few washings to do it." Inuyasha visibly relaxes, not having realized that he was tense.

Kagome smiles, seeing Inuyasha so relieved. _It would have killed him, losing those robes. His mother gave those to Inuyasha, since they once belonged to his father. _

Inuyasha and Kagome stare at one another, neither wishing to break the comfortable silence that's fallen between them.

_One second...two...three..._

Kagome stares into his eyes, her heart skipping a beat as she comes closer and closer to falling into the amber depths. _I...even after everything..._

Inuyasha is melting. Kagome's dark-chocolate eyes are gazing into his, dispelling any confusion he has left concerning this girl. He takes a step toward her. _I...still...want..._

Kagome sees Inuyasha move closer to her, then watches a flicker of pain and annoyance cross his face. _What?..._ He seems to debate about something, then growls and furiously begins scratching his head. Kagome sighs inwardly, the moment gone. _But...can we...go back to...? Is it possible after all that's happened lately?_

Inuyasha's desperate whining interrupts her thoughts. He's still scratching, and tears are threatening to form. Kagome fights the urge to cry from having to watching him suffer.

She reaches out and grabs his wrists to stop him; Inuyasha looks at her, anguish in his eyes.

"We're gonna get rid of them Inuyasha, I promise," she says. What Kagome does next surprises them both. She quickly leans forward, and lightly brushes her lips against his. As Kagome pulls away, her cheeks blushing deeply, her thoughts are racing: _What the hell?! Why did I just do that? What was I thinking?_ _He probably wasn't even thinking about that a minute ago!_

Kagome still has a hold of Inuyasha's wrists, and is staring at him with a shocked expression. Inuyasha guesses that he has a similar look on his face. _Where did that come from? I was thinking about doing that! _A smile flickers across his lips before it's quickly replaced with a grimace.

Kagome was watching his lips. She saw Inuyasha's reaction to her kiss. Then she saw his pain. _We can't do this now. We have to get rid of these pests before they eat him alive._

"Kneel down," Kagome says, pulling something from her pocket.

Inuyasha complies, desperately fighting the urge to scratch his head some more. As he kneels, he gives Kagome a confused expression, which quickly changes to a scowl as he realizes what she's doing. He opens his mouth to protest, then remembers that he agreed to do whatever she asked, no arguments. Inuyasha settles for scratching his legs, then crossing his arms and huffing loudly

Kagome laughs lightly. "I know you don't like it, but you're about to put some stuff on to get any fleas that are still on your body, and I don't want them taking up residence in your hair."

Inuyasha sighs--he sees the logic in that, though he still doesn't like the fact that Kagome is pinning all his hair to the top of his head.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asks.

"Hmmmm?" Inuyasha hums. He's enjoying whatever Kagome is doing to his hair. Her hands aren't pulling, just being very gentle as she pins his hair up. He'd never admit it, but maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Kagome grins at the top of Inuyasha's head. She heard how relaxed his voice sounded just now. _I bet he'd let me do this again sometime..._ Kagome shakes her head_. Focus! _"Uh, Inuyasha? Can we uh...you, know...uh...talk? After we get done with...?" She waves one arm vaguely. "Cause I think we kinda need to...with everything...and..." Kagome trails off.

Inuyasha, who had his eyes closed enjoying Kagome's touch, opens them and tilts his head up to look at her. A softness enters them as his gaze meets hers. "Yeah, Kagome. I think we need to talk, too."

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Inuyasha is lying on a flat rock that juts out slightly over the river, leaning back on his elbows with his hair dangling over the edge of the rock, his head tilted back so his face is to the sky, his eyes closed. Kagome is standing in the shallows next to the rock, her hands in his hair, working the shampoo down to his scalp and all through his long silver locks. Inuyasha is making a deep growling noise while she works. The first few times he started, Kagome would giggle, and Inuyasha would quickly stop. But now it seems he has gotten over her laughing at him, and is thrumming quietly, as well moaning every so often, when Kagome's hands get close to his ears.

She had already finished with his clothes, rubbing in the horrible powder and placing them in a trash bag to wash when she got back home. While she was messing with the clothes, Kagome had Inuyasha rub some kind of lotion/oil stuff onto his skin that was supposed to get rid of any fleas that might have been hanging on, as well as help soothe the bites that were already there.

Kagome had blushed as she showed him what amount to use and how much of it had to be rubbed in. She had used his chest as an example, and had avoided looking at his face because she was so embarrassed. He didn't say anything at the time, but had placed his hand over hers and held it to his chest when she had finished and tried to pull away. She stayed that way for a few moments before panicking and, shoving the bottle into his other hand, walked back to his clothes, still not looking at him. She heard him sigh behind her and slowed down, but didn't turn back. _We need to get rid of the fleas...before we do anything else. _Kagome had told Inuyasha to wait 10 minutes, then go rinse the stuff off in the river and wet down his hair, so that she could wash it with the flea shampoo. That's what they were doing now.

_He's so easy,_ Kagome thinks, going after his ears again. Inuyasha moans.

"You're doing that on purpose, Kagome," he mutters through a sigh.

Kagome giggles. "Like you're upset about it. Do you want me to stop?" she asks innocently, while rubbing the tips of his ears with her fingers.

Inuyasha forces his eyes open to look at her. He tilts his head to the side before wrapping his arm around her waist and drawing her closer to him, pulling her tank top up just enough to expose skin. Inuyasha brings his lips to her stomach, kissing once...twice... He hears Kagome gasp each time he kisses her. Smiling, he does it a third time before tilting his head back to look up at her. "Do you want ME to stop?" Inuyasha asks, imitating her innocent look.

Kagome stares at him a minute, open-mouthed, before attempting to speak. Only random, incoherent syllables come out. Inuyasha grins at her, a mischeivous look in his eyes. He starts to lean his head towards her again, but Kagome quickly backs away toward a deeper part of the river. She's still staring at him with shock, but manages to talk.

"Have...to... rinse...your... hair...out...now," Kagome stammers. She looks down at her hands, still covered in suds, and dips them into the water, letting the bubbles float away downstream.

Inuyasha, amused, rolls off the rock into the water and starts walking towards her. Kagome stares at him and mumbles, "Rinse...just duck under...," while fidgeting in place.

Inuyasha considers her for a minute before going under the water, deciding that she'll stay where she is while he rinses his hair. He does it quickly, so that she can't leave him standing there alone, but it helps that the deeper part of the river is blocking her on one side, himself on the other. He resurfaces, brushing his bangs out of his face, water streaming down his body. Kagome gawks, eyes wide. "We're done now, right?" he asks, a cocky grin on his face.

Kagome nods once. She seems to be in a trance.

"Good," Inuyasha says, lunging for Kagome, pulling her into his arms, and kissing her in one fluid motion.

Kagome freezes, then pushes against him, finally breaking their contact. Inuyasha stares at her with surprise and hurt in his eyes. Kagome backs away a few steps and wraps her arms around her sides, tears falling down her cheeks.

"Kagome...," Inuyasha says, pain in his voice. _What's wrong? I know she...or does she?_ His heart constricts at the thought that she may not feel the same way he does.

Kagome attempts to speak but chokes on her words. She takes a deep breath and starts again. "Inuyasha. How can you...aren't you...with everything that's happened the past couple of days?"

Inuyasha stares at her, confused. _What does she mean? I thought...everything would be clear now..._

Kagome looks at the hanyou and sees the confusion on his face. _Why is he so nonchalant about all this? Isn't he upset? Angry? _More tears fall as Kagome says, "Don't you hate me, Inuyasha? I mean, we killed Naraku, I shattered the Jewel--_again_--and Kikyo died. She _died_, Inuyasha, the woman you love died saving me!" Kagome drops her head, her chin on her chest, her shoulders shaking as she sobs.

Inuyasha gapes at her. _WHAT!?_ He grabs Kagome's shoulders and pulls her toward him. When she doesn't look up, he gently cups her chin with his hand, lifting her eyes to his. The sorrow and torment in her eyes breaks his heart. "Kagome, listen to me. LISTEN TO ME," he emphasizes, as Kagome tries to drop her head again.

"You and Kikyo saved us--saved us, from Naraku. When you and Kikyo used your Sacred Arrows at the same time, it was enough to destroy him. Your combined power purified the jewel, and yes, it shattered again, but..." Kagome sobs again, more tears spilling down her cheeks. Inuyasha pulls her to him, wrapping his arms around her protectively before going on. "...it was an accident. If shattering the jewel meant getting rid of Naraku, I would've done it myself." Kagome quiets some, but Inuyasha can still feel her tears on his chest.

"As for Kikyo..." Kagome tenses, afraid of what Inuyasha will say. "I'm sad she's gone, but...Kagome, I don't love her anymore, not like that. I respect her powers and her bravery, and part of me will always be grateful to her for the kindness and love she showed me, as well as the fact that she saved you." Inuyasha puts his hand behind Kagome's head and gently tilts it so that she's looking up at him. Tears still fill her eyes, but she's looking at him differently now.

"Kagome, I'm sorry about Kikyo, but I can survive losing her. Because...I've fallen...for" Inuyasha trails off, blushing slightly. "But... if something...ever happened ...to...you...," the words catch in Inuyasha's throat and tears start to fill his eyes. "If Kikyo hadn't stood between you and Naraku...I..." Inuyasha trails off again, emotion preventing the words from leaving his throat. Kagome wraps her arms around his waist and hugs him tightly, laying her forehead on his chest. She feels his arms around her shoulders, his chin on her head. Kagome waits patiently, knowing that he's not finished speaking yet.

Inuyasha takes a minute to regain his composure, then says, "That's why you haven't been able to get rid of me lately. Even though Kikyo took the brunt of Naraku's final attack, you were still out for several days. I was losing my mind thinking that you might die. Kaede threatened more than once to bind me to the Tree of Ages again. But I was paranoid. I've never been so scared in my life, Kagome. I just couldn't lose you...I couldn't..." Inuyasha sobs, hugging her tighter.

Kagome inhales deeply, breathing in Inuyasha's scent--a mixture of pine needles, earth, the lotion and shampoo they used today, and _her_. Kagome couldn't figure out how she knew that it was her own scent, but she liked the combination. "Inuyasha? What do I smell like?" she asks, her face still buried in his chest.

Inuyasha hesitates for a moment. _Where did the conversation just go?_ He responds quietly, "Like grass after it rains...cherry blossoms...and..." Inuyasha swallows. He doesn't want to mention the last thing Kagome smells like, afraid that she'll freak out.

Kagome smiles to herself. "Like you?" she asks.

Inuyasha's body tenses a moment before relaxing. "Uh-huh," he mumbles into her hair.

Kagome smiles again. She inhales deeply, savoring their closeness. After a few minutes, she tentatively kisses his chest, laughing when he gasps. Leaning back, she grins and says, "Payback for earlier."

Cocking one eyebrow, Inuyasha asks, "Oh really?" before lifting Kagome in his arms and kissing her deeply.

Inuyasha and Kagome are so absorbed in the kiss that they don't notice that Sango and Miroku have come to check up on their progress with the fleas.

"Well, I guess he feels better now," Miroku says with amusement. Sango giggles.

Startled, Inuyasha and Kagome topple over into the water. This causes Miroku and Sango to burst out laughing, earning glares from the hanyou and the miko when they surface, before they too start laughing.

"Why don't you come join us?" Kagome says threateningly, swinging her arm and sending an arc of water towards the two.

"Yeah," Inuyasha agrees, sending a much larger wave at them.

"Uh-huh. No way," Sango says, as she and Miroku run back towards Kaede's hut.

"You two have fun now," Miroku calls out, earning him a smack from Sango.

"We will," Kagome yells. She gets stares from the monk and the demon slayer before they walk out of sight, while Inuyasha blinks at her.

"We will?" he asks.

"Oh, definitely," Kagome replies, placing her hands on Inuyasha's stomach so that she can wrap her arms around him. She's surprised when Inuyasha clenches his stomach muscles and backs away from her. "What?"

"Nothing," he says, while blushing and covering his stomach protectively.

Kagome stares at him for a second, scrutinizing his face. _No...he couldn't possibly be..._

"Inuyasha...are you...ticklish?" she asks, while approaching him slowly.

Inuyasha blushes even deeper, and attempts to back away, but Kagome grabs his wrist. "N...no...," he tries to lie.

Kagome reaches her other hand towards his stomach, and lightly brushes her fingers across it. Inuyasha twitches and grabs her wrist. "Stop that," he tries to say angrily, but it comes out more like a plea.

Kagome grins evilly. "Oh, we are gonna have fun, Inuyasha..." she says while Inuyasha looks at her with horror.

------------------E---N---D----------O---F---------F---L---A---S---H---B---A---C---K-------------------

Kagome grins in the dark, remembering the beginning. She and Inuyasha had gotten closer ever since, though neither of them had said the "L" word. She knew he loved her, and was sure that he knew she loved him, but for some reason neither of them could admit it. She shrugged to herself. _Maybe one day we'll get up the nerve to say it, but for now_...

Kagome starts humming to herself, other memories from the past 2 months surfacing. It takes her a moment to realize that she can now see her hand on Inuyasha's stomach. _What the...?_

Then Kagome notices a light outside the blanket, sort of a blue-white glow. Shaking, Kagome reaches across Inuyasha and grabs Tetsusaiga, and slowly pulls the blankets off, holding the sword before her.

At first Kagome is blinded because of the light, but after a moment her eyes adjust and she sees a woman with long dark hair, flowing white robes, and a smile, sitting, or rather _floating_, on the ground less that 10 feet away. Kagome gasps. The woman is the source of the light.

"Hello, Kagome," the woman says.

* * *

Okay-did everybody like that? Hopefully?? Anyways, the order of events is: The kiss in the 2nd movie, 2 weeks pass, then Reminiscing the Kiss, then like, 3 days before the group runs into Kikyo first, then Naraku while seeing Kikyo. (Kagura and Kanna were the only ones with Naraku at this point; they were killed along with him; essentially I'm leaving the actual plotline after the end of that movie, b/c well, it's my story.) Ok, then 3 or 4 days after the batttle Kagome wakes up and she and Inuyasha go back to her time, the next day starts this story (the fleas); another month and a half to 2 months passes before the cave-in. Clear as mud? I shouldn't have any/many flashbacks after this one, but the story was running around in my head and I thought I could fit it in, so I did. Well, I hope I did. But it served to explain some stuff that I needed to clarify for later, so hopefully people can follow the story better now. OK, that's all for now. Review please! Even if only to let me know that I haven't completely confused everyone by this chapter! 


	5. Visitor in the Night

Hey everyone. Here is chapter #5! Yay! That took forever...and I don't know why...Anyway, I don't feel like this is one of the better chapters, b/c I had to explain some stuff, and kill some time in the cave. And my head feels like I'm in a tunnel or something...but, whatever. The next chapter's gonna be really good though, b/c I plan to scare everyone to death. _To death_. It'll be fun! I'm gonna start on it now, cause my goal is to have it up tomorrow night, and I can't wait to write one scene...

Ok...let's see..oh, yeah. I need to thank my reviewers, b/c I keep forgetting to do that. So thank you:

**sean davis**, your comment made my day, and yes, I'm continuing the story; **Avelyn Lauren**, b/c you've reviewed the most and have given nice reviews; **mountainflower**, I try, but it takes a long time to type!; **oldestmaiden**, Kagome's not really that strong-she just did what she had to do to help Inuyasha--people can do amazing things when they have to; **kk**, you'll just have to wait and see (evil grin); and **kumikonhan**, Mwah, ha, ha... My deepest thanks for reading/reviewing.

Now, on to Chapter 5!

* * *

Sango stares at the mouth of the cave, glaring at the pieces of rock that cut her off from her friends. Miroku is sitting beside her on the ground, leaning back against a fallen log, while Sango sits hugging her knees, rocking back and forth slightly. Shippo and Kilala are curled around one another, lying on the ground on the other side of Sango, asleep. She sighs, the firelight reflecting off her face.

"They'll be ok, you know. Inuyasha won't let anything happen to Kagome," Miroku says, trying to reassure the demon slayer. He reaches his arm up and gently rubs her back.

Sango stares into the fire for a moment before responding. "I know. But...I just have a bad feeling." She turns to look at the monk, who stops moving his hand, letting it rest on the small of her back. "It was sundown when that last rockslide happened...and, Inuyasha was already losing his powers. What...what if they got caught under...," Sango's eyes fill with tears before she buries her head in her arms.

Miroku sits up, pulling her over to lean against him. Sango lets go of her knees and wraps her arms around the monk, sobbing into his robes. "Shh...it'll be alright, Sango. We'll look for a way in--first thing in the morning." He gently rubs her back until her cries subside.

_Miroku can be sweet when he wants to be--when he's not trying to grope me... _Sango thinks, her arms tightening around his middle. She lifts her head to look at him.

Miroku's hand stops in the middle of her back, his other arm still wrapped around her shoulders. He gazes down into Sango's brown eyes, still bright with tears.

Before Sango knew what she was doing, she had lifted herself up to Miroku's level, and gently pressed her lips against his. She feels the monk tense in response, before relaxing and kissing her back, pulling her closer. They stay that way for a few seconds, before Sango breaks away, blushing slightly. Miroku smiles.

"I think we're gonna have to do that more often," he says, still grinning. Miroku lets go of Sango and lays down, motioning for her join him. Sango hesitates a minute before shrugging and bringing her head down on his chest, wrapping her arms around him again.

"See what happens when you behave?" she asks teasingly.

Miroku nods, and pulls his straying hands away from their intended targets, wrapping the slayer in his arms. They both fall asleep within minutes.

--------------------------

"Wake up, you two," Shippo says, a seemingly innocent smile on his face as he bounces up and down on the fallen log. Kilala is beside him, mewing at the sleeping adults.

Sango wakes up first, pushing on Miroku's chest to sit up. "Humph," the monk gasps, as the air is pushed out of his lungs.

"What is it?" Sango asks, rubbing her eyes. Miroku sits up beside her, yawning. The clearing they're in is beginning to lighten up, the sun just about to break the horizon.

Shippo stops bouncing and points to a rocky outcropping on the near side of the cave. Miroku and Sango follow the kitsune's gaze and gasp in shock. Standing, or rather, _floating_, above the rock is a woman, dressed in white, flowing robes. Her long hair whirls around her head, though there is no breeze.

As the group watches, the mysterious woman floats to the ground and heads toward them...

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Kagome is sure that the woman can hear her heart beating in her chest. It's thumping so loudly that there's no way she _can't_ hear it. Kagome holds Tetsusaiga between the woman and herself and Inuyasha, praying that the swords' protective capabilities can ward off any attacks that might come their way.

The woman, sensing Kagome's fear, speaks again. "I am not going to hurt you." Kagome stares at her. "Not that I can, but if I _was_ going to hurt you, I would have done it already." The woman floats toward the miko and the hanyou, and swings one hand _through_ Kagome's own, who had lifted the sword against a possible attack. She smiles at the shock on the young girl's face. "See?" she asks, as she floats back to her previous position.

Kagome looks from the woman to her hands, which now feel colder, due to the woman's touch, then back to the woman. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Kagome asks, "Wh...who are you?" while laying Tetsusaiga back down next to Inuyasha, then rubbing her hands together.

The woman smiles sadly. "I am the priestess who was enshrined within this cave. My name is Arae-Yin Nae."

Kagome stares at the woman. _That name sounds somewhat familiar...where have I heard it before?_

"I take it that you do not know of me?" Arae-Yin Nae asks.

Kagome shakes her head. "No...I've heard your name before...but I can't remember where...," she says vaguely.

The priestess sighs. "I am not surprised, though--that you do not remember. It has been many years since anyone has been to this shrine, even before that demon started using it for her own." She smiles a little. "Your friends outside got rid of her."

Kagome starts at the priestesses words. "They did? Are they alright? How's Shippo? Ho..."

"They are fine, young miko," Arae-Yin Nae says, interrupting Kagome's rambling. "They defeated the demon quite easily. Your young kitsune friend distracted her with some of his magic, then the demon slayer and the monk combined their attacks to destroy her. It was amazing to watch, actually."

Kagome sighs, relieved that her friends are okay. "What are they doing now?" she asks, as a slight breeze makes her shiver. Kagome looks down at Inuyasha, who is also trembling in the cold air. She crawls around to his head and lifts him onto her lap, positioning his hakamas back over his legs and torso. She wraps the blanket around their shoulders, leaving just their heads exposed. Kagome kisses Inuyasha lightly on the brow before looking at the priestess.

Arae-Yin Nae waits until Kagome is finished before speaking, frowning slightly the whole time. "They are sleeping. The woman wanted to wait until morning before trying to dig you out. She was worried that they might make things worse."

Kagome nods once. _That sounds like Sango...Wait..._ "How...how do you know what they're doing? And how did you know my name?"

Arae-Yin Nae smiles. "I can pass through other objects besides your hands. The dimensions of this shrine encompass the cave, the cliff above, and the surrounding land to approximately 100 feet from where you are sitting right now. I can pass through these walls to the outside, even up onto the cliff, so it was simple enough for me to see your traveling companions. The woman, Sango, I believe the monk said...," Kagome nods. "...yelled your name when the first rocks fell."

"Oh..," Kagome says, furrowing her brow. She glances down as Inuyasha moans, turning his head back and forth in her lap. Kagome whispers in his ear, telling him that everything will be alright, that he needs to be quiet and rest, while running her hands through his hair and massaging his temples. Inuyasha quiets after a few minutes. Kagome looks up at the priestess, blushing a little. "I...I don't think he can actually hear what I'm saying, but maybe he knows I'm here," she says, as tears well up in her eyes.

Arae-Yin Nae doesn't speak for a moment, watching the young couple before her. Quietly she asks, "This man...Inuyasha, you said his name was? He is a half-demon, is he not? When the two of you first came into the cave, he did not look like a human."

Kagome raises one eyebrow at the woman before replying. "Yes, he's a half-demon. His father was a powerful Inu, his mother a human. Tonight--the night of the new moon--is the only time of the month when he's fully human. Why?" she asks, before wiping her eyes and gently stroking Inuyasha's cheeks with her fingertips.

Arae-Yin Nae watches Kagome movements as she asks, "You love him, do you not?" It was more of a statement than a question.

Kagome blushes deeply as she responds. "Yes, I do." She frowns at the glowing woman before her. "Why? Is there something wrong with that?" she asks, getting slightly angry.

Arae-Yin Nae stares at Kagome, her face impassive. After a minute, Kagome starts to fidget under the woman's gaze. The priestess smiles. "No, dear child. There is nothing wrong with that. Only...," Her face takes on a saddened expression. "...when I was alive, demons and humans did not even get along, much less fall in love and bring children into the world."

Kagome scrutinizes the priestesses' face before responding. "You sound as if you have some experience with this."

Arae-Yin Nae looks down at her hands, which she has folded neatly in her lap. She sighs before looking back up at Kagome. "I was once in love with a demon. A lion, of which I do not believe there are any left alive."

Kagome's face falls. "I've never heard of any," she says quietly.

Crystal tears form in the woman's eyes. "He was kind and thoughtful, despite his rough personality. It took awhile to get Surinotu to open up to me, but once he did, my happiest memories are of my time with him."

Kagome glances quickly at Inuyasha, her eyes softening. She smiles.

"I take it that your relationship is the same?" Arae-Yin Nae asks.

Kagome nods, a lump in her throat. "What happened? Between you two?"

Arae-Yin Nae looks up to the darkened ceiling, remembering. "Because I was a priestess, any relationship was frowned upon, because my kind had other responsibilities." She looks back at Kagome. "But no one was permitted to socialize with a demon--it was expressly forbidden, because they were seen as being amoral, evil, untrustworthy,...the list goes on. To fall in love with a demon was the worst sin that a person could commit, short of having a child with one. If anyone had found out about our relationship, it would have meant certain death for both of us." The priestesses eyes lose focus, staring at nothing. "That is why we told no one of our time together, not even our families. It was too risky to let even those closest to our hearts know our secret. After I died--naturally, of old age, Surinotu would visit my grave as often as he could, though it was difficult for him because so many humans were around. I would talk with him as you and I are now, and I continued to love him until the day a passing priest mentioned that a lion-demon had been found in the next valley, seemingly having also died from old age." _For that...at least...I am glad..._

Arae-Yin Nae shakes her head a little, bringing her eyes back to Kagome. "But it seems that now things have changed," she says, smiling at the couple before her. _I had hoped... eventually..._

"Even now it's not very common," Kagome says sadly, the older priestesses' story having depressed her. "Humans and demons still don't get along very well." Kagome glances at Inuyasha's face, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. She smiles a little at his peaceful expression. "There are a few, however...," she murmurs, kissing his brow again, laying her forehead to his.

The two women sit in silence for a moment, both lost in their memories.

"Wait," Kagome says suddenly, mumbling to herself. She lifts her head and brings her eyebrows together, thinking. "I missed it, because Inuyasha was...you said that...from where we were sitting...," Kagome trails off.

"Yes. This is the center of the shrine," Arae-Yin Nae answers. "There used to be an altar here, but years of neglect, and then many more years of assault by inconsiderate demons, have erased any trace of what once was." She pauses. "Also, were it not a moonless night, there would be a ray of light shining on this spot, because there is an opening high in the ceiling. That was one of the reasons my village chose this spot as my shrine. It is also the reason you two are chilled--a draft is coming in through that opening."

Kagome looks up. She can't see anything, as the only light in the cave is coming from the woman beside her, but she can feel a cold wind on her face. _No wonder... _Grimmacing slightly from having sat for so long, Kagome stands and stretches, then grabs the edge of Inuyasha's haori and pulls him farther back on the altar, away from the draft. Panting, she sits back down, wrapping the blanket back around herself and Inuyasha. "There, maybe we won't be so cold now."

Arae-Yin Nae smiles before turning her head and looking in the direction of the bridge Kagome had placed her blanket on to dry. "The bridge you passed?" Kagome nods and shudders slightly, remembering the drop from which she could have easily fallen. "There used to be a large stream running from one side of the cave to the other, flowing under that bridge. The source of that stream was a waterfall, fed by the small forest that grew on top of the cliff." Arae-Yin Nae sighs. "W hen the humans forgot about the shrine, and demons took over this cave, they destroyed the forest...and the waterfall with it."

Kagome blinks rapidly for a few seconds. She was trying to remember what little she had heard about geology and the water table and trees..._Ugh...I am too tired to think about this. I'll take her word for it. _Kagome's head falls forward a bit, and she jerks it back up, stifling a yawn. "So, where did the water go? When I was cleaning Inuyasha, all I saw was a small pool, and an even smaller crack in the wall. There had to be a bigger space for all that water to go, otherwise this whole cave would be flooded."

"Yes. Long ago there was an opening on that side of the cave--a sort of side entrance, made by the waterfall. It was large enough to walk through, and the children in my village would often float down the stream to the small pond it made on the outside. Shortly after the demons destroyed the forest, they also caused a cave-in on that side, since the rock was weaker because of the water moving in that direction." The preistess shrugs. "It was just as well. There was no longer enough water flowing through the cave to require a large exit."

"Hmmm..." Kagome nods, then yawns and pats her cheeks, trying to stay awake.

"You should sleep, dear. Everyone else is," Arae-Yin Nae says, looking at Kagome with concern.

"I can't," Kagome replies, looking down at Inuyasha anxiously. "What if he wakes up? What if he gets cold again, or..."

"I will wake you up, dear child," the priestess says. "I do not need to sleep."

Kagome looks at her for a moment before consenting. "You're sure? If anything changes...," she says, lying down next to Inuyasha and covering them up.

"I will wake you. Now go to sleep," Arae-Yin Nae replies, her light dimming to allow the young miko to rest.

-------------------------------------------------

"Kagome?" a voice says. "Wake up."

"Mmmm...?" Kagome mumbles. She's slept soundly for the past few hours, warm and comfortable next to Inuyasha.

"Kagome, who is that?" another voice asks.

"Mmm...what?" Kagome blinks herself awake. She sits up, lifting the covers away from her and Inuyasha, glancing at his face. He's looking around, confused, trying to figure out...well, everything.

"He's awake," Arae-Yin Nae says, smiling at Kagome.

Kagome feels her heart leap. She throws herself onto Inuyasha, hugging him tightly, while tears flow down her cheeks.

"Ooomph," he mutters, as Kagome knocks the wind out of him. He hugs her back before asking, "Kagome, what's going on? Who's that? Where are my clothes? Why does my head hurt? Wh..."

"Why are you asking so many questions?" she murmurs, nuzzling his neck. She lifts herself up to face him and kisses him deeply, earning a low growl from the hanyou, even though he's still in his human form. Arae-Yin Nae watches, remaining quiet until the two of them are ready to speak.

* * *

Sorry that was so short guys. Or was it? I feel like it was. Ok, I am going to go work on the next chapter so that I can scare the crap out of everyone. Mwah, ha, ha...(maniacal laughter, followed by a short fit of coughing, b/c I can't laugh like that) Ok, I need to stop now... 


	6. Awakenings

Ok guys: here is Chapter 6. It was gonna be really, really long, so I decided to split it into two. I'm still working on it, but I realized I was at a pretty good stopping place and decided I would go ahead and post something to tide you over til I can get the scary part written. Well, not _scary_, per se, but...anyways, ya'll understand next chap.

**Note**: I thought my, uh, thoughts might be kind of confusing, so I'm gonna explain a little. Arae-Yin Nae's shrine was dedicated after she died, meaning she was older (about Kaede's age) when she was buried in the cave. Miroku's comment in this chapter is referring to the priestess when she was in her early 20's, because this was her approx. age when she met and fell in love with Surinotu. She's most comfortable with her looks at that age and appears to most people looking like a young woman, a little older than Sango and Kagome. She rarely appears looking older or younger than that age. Oh, she also has fuzzy blue-white skin, sort of opaque, for anybody who's having trouble picturing her. Kind of like a ghost, but w/dark hair. She's kind of "glow-y." If anybody needs clarification on any confusing points, just ask and I'll answer before the next chap. Unless it's part of the plot, then you'll have to wait...

Oh-thanks to: blackenrose, brittany143, kumikonhan, sean davis, mountainflower, oldest maiden, and Avelyn Lauren for reviewing. You guys are the reason I keep writing! And oldestmaiden, my fingernails aren't growing backwards..._yet_...

I forgot to mention in the last chap, but I don't unfortunately, own Inuyasha. Though I would in a heartbeat, if he was up for sale. _Need to check ebay..._

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"Arae-Yin Nae, this is Inuyasha. Inuyasha, Arae-Yin Nae. She's the preistess who was enshrined in this cave," Kagome says, while helping him sit up. He grimaces. "Are you okay?" she asks, though she knows the answer already.

"Uh, no, Kagome..." Inuyasha hisses in pain and leans against her, trying to catch his breath. "I am definitely not okay." He puts one arm around her waist and one bandaged hand to his head as the room tilts before him. "What happened?" Inuyasha sways slightly, then slumps over into Kagome's lap. "I think...ugh...," he says, groaning.

"I think he is going to need a little time before he is able to move around, Kagome," Arae-Yin Nae says. The young miko nods in agreement . "How about I give you two...?"

Kagome smiles at the older woman in understanding. The priestess begins to float away. "Arae-Yin Nae? Could you do me a favor?"

The priestess nods. "If I am able."

"Could...could you go talk to...to our friends? Tell them we're...," she glances at Inuyasha, who is sweating slightly, trying not to be sick. "...we're ok? And...and ask them to search for a way in, when the sun comes up?" She looks back up to the priestess. "It should be soon--Inuyasha's awake because his powers are coming back."

Arae-Yin Nae looks from the young girl's hopeful face, to the dark-haired hanyou who is lying in her lap, taking deep breaths. She smiles. "I will tell them." Kagome nods and pulls Inuyasha's hair away from his face. She reaches for the flashlight as the glowing woman floats to the cave wall and melds with it, plunging Kagome and Inuyasha into darkness.

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Kagome switches on the flashlight, blinking to adjust to the brightness.

"Stupid. You should have done that before she left," Inuyasha mumbles into Kagome's legs. "Sorry I didn't say hi to your friend--I was kinda busy trying not to throw-up." He groans. "I shouldn't have tried to sit up."

The miko smiles. "I think she figured out why you were so rude." Inuyasha growls. Kagome giggles softly and begins running her hands through his hair. She gasps as it moves away from his neck. The bruising has gotten worse--it's now dark blue and black, spilling beyond the edges of the bandage. She quickly puts her hands on his scalp to feel for the bumps she found earlier. He hisses as she touches them. They're bigger.

"Oww...Kagome! That hurts, you know," Inuyasha says, turning over so he's looking up at her, his brown eyes clouded with pain. His discomfort eases a little as he gazes at the girl looking at him. "I take it that my injuries haven't been healing much?" Kagome shakes her head and leans down, pressing her forehead against his and closing her eyes. Inuyasha closes his as well.

"No, not while you're human," she murmurs. "From the looks of that bruise, you've injured your spine somehow. That's probably why you feel sick." The two of them stay like this, foreheads touching, for several minutes. They discovered it one day when Kagome had a migraine that wouldn't go away, keeping the girl in bed for the better part of a day. At some point Inuyasha had laid down beside her, bringing his forehead to hers. The pain hadn't gone away, but both of them had felt very close and at peace during that time. Now the simple gesture serves as a reminder of the connection they felt in that moment.

Without opening her eyes or moving, Kagome quietly asks, "Do you want anything? For the pain? Or do you just want to wait until sunrise?"

Inuyasha breathes in deeply before answering, also keeping his eyes closed. "No...it shouldn't be too long now. I just hope I feel better, cause right now I feel like ...well ...like I've been in a cave-in."

Kagome smiles and kisses him gently, both of them waiting for the his transformation.

Suddenly Inuyasha arches his back and gasps, breathing deeply. He exhales very slowly, his hair floating around himself and Kagome. She can feel his demonic aura returning, eminating from his body now, almost like heat. Kagome slowly opens her eyes to see bright amber ones staring into her own.

"Hi," he says softly, pulling Kagome into another kiss. She can feel Inuyasha smile as his lips caress hers. She nibbles his bottom lip lightly, causing the hanyou to release a deep-throated laugh. When he finally lets Kagome go, Inuyasha sits up, still a little dizzy, but he doesn't have nausea this time. He starts to put one bandaged hand to his head, then notices how wrapped up it is. He lifts his other hand level with the first, and flattens his fuzzy ears. "What did you do to me?" he asks Kagome, as she erupts in a fit of giggles.

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Upon seeing the mystery woman approach their camp, Sango and Miroku stand up, readying their weapons. Shippo and Kilala hop to the ground in front of the humans, Shippo grabbing Sango's ankles and shaking slightly. Kilala stares at the woman and remains quiet, without transforming. It's a good sign.

Miroku stares at the woman floating toward them. _She's beautiful..._ His mouth opens slightly as he's about to take a step toward her. As he lifts his foot, the image of Sango looking up at him--eyes darkened, lips moist and red from their kiss, cheeks flushed--flashes in his mind. Miroku puts his foot back down and closes his mouth. He reaches his hand over to Sango's and intertwines her fingers with his. She doesn't say anything, but Miroku can see the color creep into her cheeks. A small smile crosses his lips.

When the woman reaches them, she bows low and whispers, "My name is Arae-Yin Nae. I am the priestess who was enshrined in this cave." Miroku and Sango raise their eyebrows as they exchange a glance, lessening the hold on their weapons. Shippo stops shaking and releases Sango's leg, taking a tentative step towards the priestess, a confused look on his face. Kilala doesn't move.

Arae-Yin Nae stands up, dropping her hands and glancing at each of the travelers in turn. She comes back to Sango. "Sango?"

Surprised, Sango nods. "How...how do you know my name?"

The priestess smiles, looking down at the clasped hands between the demon slayer and the monk before answering. She looks up at Miroku. "He said your name before you fell asleep last night. Your miko companion inside the cave confirmed it." Arae-Yin Nae pauses as the group visibly relaxes upon hearing that Kagome is okay.

"What about Inuyasha?" Shippo asks, taking a step toward the strange woman. Arae-Yin Nae opens her mouth to speak at the same moment that the sun breaches the horizon, temporarily blinding the foursome, as they are looking in that direction. The priestess waits until they can see again before going on.

"He...was in his human form...when the she-goat caused the boulders to fall. He was seriously injured; Kagome tried to help him as much as she could." Miroku, Sango, and Shippo exchange glances--they didn't like where this conversation was going. Kilala mews, drawing their attention back to the priestess. "Inuyasha has been asleep since the cave fell in on him." Arae-Yin Nae lets a small grin cross her lips. "He has just woken up. Kagome is waiting until he can move without much difficulty before they look for a way out."

Miroku and Sango let out audible sighs, while Shippo rubs his eyes, wiping away tears that were about to roll down his tiny cheeks. Kilala stands and mews at the woman, before jumping onto Sango's shoulder.

As Miroku straightens back up, he eyes the woman before him, squinting slightly. He removes his hand from Sango's and takes a step toward Arae-Yin Nae. Raising his staff, Miroku looks the long-dead priestess in the eye and asks, "May I?"

Arae-Yin Nae nods once and closes her crystal eyes. Miroku turns his staff sideways and swings it once, the staff passing through the glowing woman's stomach. Sango and Shippo gasp. "Miroku, what are you doing?" Sango yells, her voice tense.

"Just...making sure," the monk replies. He bows to the priestess, then turns back to Sango. Kilala hops from Sango's shoulder to Miroku's, silently telling the demon slayer that she agrees with his actions. Sango and Shippo stare at the two of them, eyes bulging slightly. Miroku explains. "If this priestess was truely enshrined in this cave, she would have no substance--only her spirit would be able to walk in this place. Therefore, she can pass freely through any object, and any object may pass through her,..." Miroku tilts his staff back and forth a few times. "...which you just saw me test. I wanted to make sure that we didn't blindly accept her word that our friends were okay." He turns back to the priestess. "I am sorry for doubting you, but we have encountered many...shall we say, _liars..._in our travels."

Arae-Yin Nae nods. "I understand--and agree with your caution. It was wise of you to test my claim. I would have done the same, were I in your position." She smiles at the small group. "I have a message from Kagome. She asks that you find a way into the cave...but I think you know that already."

Miroku and Sango smile at the statement. _Obviously..._ Shippo walks up to the priestess, squinting at her. He turns back to the others. "Was...weren't we supposed to find a...what was your name again?" the little kitsune asks shyly.

"Arae-Yin Nae. And yours, little fox-demon?"

"My name's Shippo, and the two-tail is Kilala. I think that's everybody." Arae-Yin Nae nods. _This little one is quick..._ "I...I think we were supposed to find you...wasn't that what Kikyo said, Sango?" Shippo asks, turning to look at the slayer.

Sango nods slightly, looking at Miroku, trying to remember. "Yes, before Kikyo died, she told me...that to help Miroku rid himself of the Wind Tunnel, we should seek the maiden priestess enshrined in the Cave of Promises." Arae-Yin Nae starts, her crystal eyes widening at Sango's words. _I...haven't heard...that name in years..._

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"Stupid."

"Jerk."

Inuyasha and Kagome smile at one another. Those words are no longer insults--the two use them as a sign of affection now. Kagome is unwrapping Inuyasha's right hand, being careful of his wrist. The fingers on his left hand are still a little bruised, but they're healing much quicker now that Inuyasha is half-demon again. Kagome has already re-wrapped Inuyasha's neck and head, and left the cuts on his back and chest free, as they are healing rapidly as well. All she has left to check is this hand. She removes the gauze from each of his fingers, asking him to flex them as she does, to make sure they're not broken. All 5 are ok, just a little bruised, so Kagome moves up to his wrist.

"Ooowwww...," Inuyasha growls, fighting the urge to jerk his arm out of Kagome's grasp.

"Yeah, it's definitely broken," Kagome says, sighing. She unwinds the bandage a little to wrap his wrist up tighter. "That's gonna take a few days to heal. Figures it's your sword arm..." she mumbles, finishing with his hand.

"I can still wield Tetsusaiga," Inuyasha protests, reaching for the sword.

"You had better not!" Kagome yells, startling the hanyou so much that he falls over onto his hoari. He glares at Kagome as she hovers over him, one arm on each side of his head. "No unnecessary risks--remember?" she asks, eyes softening as Inuyasha pouts, turning his head to the side. Kagome leans down and kisses his cheek. Inuyasha turns his head to look at her.

"Fine," he says, rolling his eyes. Kagome smiles.

"Thank-you," she says, leaning back and standing up, stretching in the process. Inuyasha stares from his place on the floor. Kagome still hasn't put her clothes back on. Inuyasha looks down at himself, frowning.

"Kagome, why aren't we wearing our clothes?" he asks, raising one eyebrow at her.

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Kilala, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo are scouting the cave entrance, looking for loose boulders and rubble that they can move, in order to make a pass to the inside. Arae-Yin Nae is floating between the demon slayer and monk, conversing with the two humans.

"The Cave of Promises got its name because it was the location in which most marriages, vows of purity, oaths of fealty, allegiances, dedications, and the like took place, before my time as priestess. Actually, people used to come from many leagues away to have services performed, because it was rumored that when one made a vow while inside the cave, it could not be broken--ever. It was said that some ancient, powerful magic still resided in the cave, and that is why one could not break his or her promise, once they had agreed." Arae-Yin Nae shrugs. "I never had the opportunity to take or witness an oath--very few were made during my time--so I do not know if the story is true. But I imagine it was simply a rumor to scare people into keeping their word."

Miroku nods. _...\even in this age, very few prove to be completely trustworthy..._ Miroku glances up at Sango, who is smirking at him. "What?" he asks, innocently.

"Nothing," she says, rolling her eyes and looking at Arae-Yin Nae. "A woman by the name of Kikyo, who was also a priestess, told us to seek you concerning the Wind Tunnel in the monk's right hand." Sango pauses so that Miroku can remove his prayer beads, showing Arae-Yin Nae the opening in his hand, allowing it to suck up leaves and small pieces of dust in the air. He quickly wraps it up in the beads again, as the pain created by the large boulder the day before is still making his hand hurt.

_Wind...Tunnel?_ _That does not...sound familiar...but..._ "Tell me more about where this _Wind Tunnel_ came from. Were you cursed by a demon?" Arae-Yin Nae asks the priest.

"...No. _I_ wasn't." Miroku replies. "But my grandfather was, by a demon named Naraku. My elder, was, shall we say, _flirtatious_..."

"He was a lecher, monk, just like you," Sango interrupts, smiling sweetly at Miroku as she wedges her Hiraitkotsu under a particularly large rock, she and Shippo working together to roll the boulder away from the cave opening. Miroku glares at his fiancee as he uses his staff to move a smaller, but still troublesome stone. When she finishes, Sango leans against her weapon, trying to catch her breath. "Miroku's grandfather tried to hit on Naraku--who had transformed into a beautiful woman--and, as punishment for such lustfulness, damned him and his descendants with the Wind Tunnel."

"The _Kazana_ is both a curse and a blessing," Miroku gasps, holding on to his staff so that he doesn't slide to the ground. "A blessing because it enables the individual to send anything and everything into this...void," he growls, looking at his right palm. "A curse, because one day the bearer of said _blessing_ will also be sucked into the vortex--unless Naraku is killed. Or so we thought...," the priest mumbles, kicking a few small stones into the woods.

"What do you mean?" Arae-Yin Nae asks.

"Miroku's father and grandfather were each sucked into their own Kazana's," Shippo jumps in, sitting on the ground after using his _Smashing Top_ to break a huge boulder. Kilala has changed into her larger form, and is busy pushing those smaller rocks to the side of the clearing. "Naraku was killed a few months ago, but Miroku still has the Wind Tunnel. When he vanished, or...or blew-up, we saw a wispy, smoke-like.._.thing_...fly away from where Naraku had been. Kikyo saw it too, and told Sango to come to you if we wanted to help Miroku." Shippo sighs. "This is taking too long, guys."

"I agree," Sango says, hefting the large boomerang onto her shoulder. "Arae-Yin Nae, can you go tell Kagome and Inuyasha to get as far away from the entrance as possible? I'm gonna try using the Hiraitkotsu and Shippo's Smashing Top to see if we can get this opening cleared any faster." The priestess nods and heads toward the cave entrance, floating right through the blockade.

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"Owww!!!!!" Inuyasha yells, as he stubs his foot on rock, hopping on one foot to rub the throbbing in his big toe.

"What?" Kagome yells from the back of the cave. Inuyasha sees her heading toward him, swinging the flashlight along the floor so that she doesn't do the same.

Inuyasha turns back to the wall of rocks blocking their escape, limping slightly as he scrutinizes it, searching for a break through which he and Kagome can get back outside. He doesn't see any.

"What?" Kagome asks again as she walks up beside the half-demon, glancing up at the ceiling. Inuyasha follows her gaze. "Let's not stay here long--I don't like the looks of...," Kagome trails off, trembling a little as she turns back to Inuyasha. He hugs her and kisses the top of her head as reassurance. Smiling into his hoari, Kagome asks again, "So, what were you "ow-ing" about, Inuyasha?"

"Uh, nothing," Inuyasha says, letting go of the miko and walking to the other side of the cave.

Kagome watches him walk away, noticing his limp. "You stepped on...or kicked something didn't you?" she asks, trying to stay calm. Inuyasha tenses for a second, but doesn't reply. "I thought you said you could see up here--even though I have the flashlight," Kagome asks, her voice strained.

"I _can_," Inuyasha grumbles, coming back to Kagome. "It's just...my head still hurts...and everything's...fuzzy...," he finishes, putting his hands to his head and massaging his temples.

Kagome frowns. _I knew something was wrong..._ She had helped Inuyasha stand up, explaining about the body heat thing she had learned in class. Inuyasha had given her a "yeah, right" look and smirked before taking his hoari and hakamas from her. Kagome, thinking that Inuyasha could get dressed by himself, had walked away to put her uniform on. But when she came back to him, Inuyasha was still standing in the same spot, his eyes closed, grinding his teeth together. She had wordlessly helped him with his clothes, trying to ignore the blush that had sneaked onto his cheeks. Kagome didn't know if it was due to his needing help or..._something_ else, as the young miko had to touch him well, everywhere, in order to dress the hanyou. Inuyasha didn't say a word the entire time--he seemed too preoccupied with his headache.

Surprisingly, for Kagome, those few minutes weren't that awkward. _I wonder what that means--that I'm fairly comfortable--doing this..._ Afterwards, Kagome had insisted on giving Inuyasha some pain pills, which he grudgingly accepted, and he seemed fine after sitting back down for a few minutes. Now, she's not so sure. _I'd better keep an eye on him..._

Kagome iopens her mouth to ask Inuyasha something when Arae-Yin Nae comes gliding through the rock barrier, scaring them witless. Kagome shrieks and steps backward, tripping on some small stones and falling on her rump. Inuyasha puts his arm up to block the sudden light given off from the priestess, and immediately kneels and covers Kagome, protecting her from...whatever. When Inuyasha sees that it's only the priestess from earlier, he huffs and helps Kagome to her feet.

"I see you're feeling better," Arae-Yin Nae says, smiling at the hanyou.

He nods, then brings his hands together, bowing to the miko. "I am pleased to meet you, priestess," Inuyasha says politely, before standing up straight. Kagome gapes behind his back. _Where did that come from? His manners have gotten better lately, but..._ she exchanges a look with Arae-Yin Nae.

The priestess arches her eyebrows at Inuyasha's formal greeting. She catches Kagome's eye, which is obviously conveying the message that this is not typical behavior. The girls give Inuyasha confused looks, to which he replies, "What?" while looking back and forth between them.

Giving Inuyasha one last troubled look, Kagome turns to the priestess. "Did you find our friends?"

"Yes. They are trying to break into the cave through the entrance. Sango asks that you get as far away as possible," Arae-Yin Nae says, floating past the two, leading them further into the cave.

Inuyasha shrugs and follows the miko, Kagome trailing behind, lost in thought. _He says he's fine...except that he took something that should've gotten rid of his headache, but he still hurts. _Kagome glances up at Inuyasha's neck; his silver hair is swinging back and forth slightly as he walks, allowing her to glance his neck briefly. _That cut is healing okay...and the bruise...is...better... somewhat..._

Kagome's thoughts are interrupted as they reach the bridge, and Inuyasha hands her the blanket that she had left there to dry. Seconds later the trio hears a muffled yell, immediately followed by another, higher, yell, then crashing and even more shouting outside the cave. Kagome and Inuyasha turn toward the entrance to see a brief flicker of light before the ceiling begins to collapse. Inuyasha utters a few choice words as he picks Kagome up and leaps to the back of the cave. Arae-Yin Nae glides along after them, a few small rocks and dust going right through her.

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That okay with everyone? This is kind of a filler chapter, as I have to get them out of the cave. Not a lot of action, but maybe some foreshadowing. I'm gonna try really, really hard to get the next chap up tomorrow, but I'm not gonna promise it. I felt bad all week cause I said I would have this one up pretty fast and it's, well, not that fast. But I don't have anything to do tomorrow, so it _should_ go up fast. I've used "fast" way too many times in this little paragraph. O..K...gonna go start Ch 7. Yay! Oh! I'm thinking about actually giving the chaps titles. Anybody have any ideas? I'll credit you if I use it; and probably even if I don't, just for reviewing. :)


	7. Finding A Way Out

Hello, everyone! Here is Ch. 7! I feel really bad that it's taken so long to get it up. I got stuck on one scene and couldn't figure out how to get it going again. But I got it fixed--finally--so, yay! Um..what else?...Oh, the "hollow" in the ceiling--picture it as kind of a narrow cone, the wide end at the bottom. Um...Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha...Uh, I think that's all. Enjoy!

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"Think they're out of the way yet?" Shippo asks Sango as the two of them approach the cave opening, leaving Miroku and Kilala at a safe distance. Kilala is transformed, ready to spring after the kitsune and demon slayer if need be. Miroku has his left hand over his right, preparing to remove the prayer beads and open the Wind Tunnel if their plan doesn't work.

_I just hope combining our attacks opens up the entrance...I don't want Miroku to use his Kazana if he can help it..._ Sango thinks, glancing at Miroku. He gives her an encouraging grin. She smiles back at him before turning around to face the cave-in. Sango looks down at the fox-demon by her side. "Yeah, Shippo. Arae-Yin Nae should have reached them by now, so let's go ahead and get our friends out," she says fiercely.

"Right!" Shippo yells. "Ready when you are!"

Sango allows herself another smile at the determination in the young demon's voice. Throwing all her weight behind it, Sango swings her weapon around once...twice...then throws the large boomerang at the rockpile, shouting, "HIRAITKOTSU!"

As soon as the weapon leaves her hands, Shippo jumps up in the air, yelling, "SMASHING TOP!" as he throws his toy, transformed by his fox magic, to a spot near where Sango's Hiraitkotsu should hit.

The two immediately back up a few steps as the weapons hit the rocks, sending slivers of stone and dust flying all around them. Sango crouches over the tiny fox, sheltering him from some of the larger pieces. She glances back at Miroku and Kilala, who are running towards them, Miroku shouting something. Sango turns her head to see a small opening in the center of the barricade. She starts to smile when suddenly she sees more rocks breaking away from the top of the cliff and rolling down, sealing the entrance again. Watching in horror, Sango sees the opening collapse, then hears more crashing coming from inside the cave. _What...have we done?!_

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"Well, that didn't work," Inuyasha grumbles, as he places Kagome on her feet, both of them glancing back toward the entrance, which they're sure is blocked even more. Inuyasha glances back down at Kagome's feet, then his own. He frowns. _Why can I see my feet so well? I couldn't before... _

Before Inuyasha can give the question much thought, Arae-Yin Nae floats up beside them, frowning. She glances back at the dust, which is starting to settle. "I...should have known better. I should have warned them...," she mumbles to herself.

Inuyasha and Kagome turn their heads to look at the priestess. "What do you mean?" Inuyasha asks. "You couldn't have known that the cave would collapse again--could you?"

The miko looks up, seeing the confusion on the two young faces. She sighs. "This cave is very old--and therefore very unstable. The waterfall, though beautiful, did not help in maintaining the strength of these stones," she says, attempting to lay one pale hand on the wall. It passes right through the rock, causing Arae-Yin Nae to sigh again. "Walk to the bridge and look up."

Kagome and Inuyasha exchange a startled glance before heading to the center of the cave. Inuyasha looks at the girl beside him, noticing that her hand is wrapped around the flashlight, her knuckles white, while her other arm clutches the blanket to her chest. He reaches over and gently pries the flashlight from her grasp, putting her arm through his. Kagome looks up at him, a small smile crossing her lips before she buries half of her face in his sleeve. He can feel her shaking. _I was the one who was hurt, but Kagome was awake most of the night, had to take care of me, worried about our friends, worried about ME, and now we may not get out of this cave--if it doesn't come down on us...I don't know how much more she can take..._ Inuyasha thinks, gently squeezing her arm with his free hand. Kagome tightens her grip on him.

When the two of them reach the bridge, Inuyasha turns on the flashlight and shines it at the ceiling. Kagome gasps. "But...but," she babbles, tears starting to fill her eyes. Inuyasha sees what she means. Before the attack outside, the ceiling at this point in the cave had only a few cracks, and only small stones in it that might have fallen. Now there are chunks of rock missing from the ceiling, and huge breaks going across it: one running from the front of the cave to the back, one running across the width of it, and several more branches spreading out from those. Inuyasha brings the beam down and shines it around them. Kagome sobs and buries her face in his chest, clutching the front of his haori. Surrounding them are various-sized pieces of the ceiling that have fallen out.

"Good thing we moved," Inuyasha says dryly. Kagome laughs once, then hiccups, trying to stop her tears. Inuyasha wraps his arm around her head while swinging the flashlight toward the entrance. Sure enough, more boulders have fallen, blocking their exit even more. Inuyasha sighs.

"You don't think we'll get out either--do you?" Kagome's muffled voice says from under his sleeve.

Inuyasha switches off the light and pushes Kagome away from him so that he can see her face, which is illuminated only by the light from the priestess at the back of the cave. "We'll get out, Kagome," he says sternly. "I still owe you for about a thousand "sits." You're not getting out of them that easily."

Kagome smiles, her eyes drifting to the Beads of Subjugation around Inuyasha's neck. The last time she'd used the command on him was during their first meeting with Kaguya--and that was to save him from being hit with his own attack. Kagome hadn't used it since--there wasn't a reason to. Kagome smiled wider, her tears drying.

Inuyasha had somehow come to the conclusion that he had to get Kagome back for all those times she had used the beads' power. He had started by moving her stuff around. Kagome had a tendency to be on the neat side, especially while in the Feudal Era, as she didn't want to leave anything behind that hadn't been invented yet. So Inuyasha had taken to removing things from her pack and leaving them in random places when they had camped for the night.

At first Kagome just thought she herself had misplaced an item, only to rediscover it the next morning. After the third incident, Kagome started to get suspicious, and pretended to be asleep that night--"waking up" and catching Inuyasha in the act. She had threatened to "sit" him, but Inuyasha came right out and admitted that he was just getting her back for all the times she _had_ sat him, hoping that the truth would keep him from getting hurt. It did.

Kagome let the incident pass, but warned him not to do anything else. Inuyasha didn't--for about 5 seconds, until he went to hug the girl and whispered "goodnight" in her ear, his warm breath passing over her neck. Kagome had pushed him away quickly, rubbing the ticklish spot with her palm. The hanyou had waited exactly 2 seconds before tackling the miko, pressing his lips to her neck and nuzzling, kissing, and breathing on the poor girl, until Kagome had exhausted herself from laughing so much. She had tried to fight him off, pushing and kicking the half-demon, but she was no match for Inuyasha. And as she was too distracted at the time, Kagome forgot the _he_ was also ticklish. Inuyasha had been harassing her ever since.

"Uh-huh," Kagome says, reaching one hand up to pull lightly on the beads around Inuyasha's neck. "Just you try it."

Inuyasha smirks. "Oh-I will. I've got lots of fun stuff planned," he says as Kagome glares at him. Inuyasha laughs and turns the girl toward the back of the cave, walking behind her as they head to Arae-Yin Nae.

About halfway there, Kagome sees a flicker of light in her peripheral vision and turns toward it. She's blinded as the beam from the flashlight shines in her face, before it is immediately shut off. Kagome shakes her head, closing and rubbing her eyes to get rid of the residual image that's blocking her view. With her eyes closed, Kagome can hear Inuyasha mumbling something. _I thought he was right behind me..._ She listens more intently. _It sounds like..._

Kagome opens her eyes, blinking a few times, and turns around. Inuyasha is holding the flashlight with both hands, aiming it at the far wall. As she watches, the hanyou flicks the switch, turning the light on, and Kagome hears a low humming start in Inuyasha's throat. He slashes at the air, bringing the light down in sideways arcs, like he's chopping down a tree. With each swing, Kagome hears a different sound--one like...Kagome's eyes widen in surprise. _Where did he even hear that?_ She stares at the half-demon, who is now swinging the light around in circles, stabbing and slashing at invisible enemies. _He must've seen one of Sota's video games..._ "Inuyasha?"

The half-demon stops in the middle of a swing, turning to stare at her. He frowns at Kagome, then looks down at his hands, frowning even more. Standing up straight, Inuyasha turns off the light and walks over to her. "Hi," he says, kissing her lightly.

Kagome stares at him, open-mouthed. _What the hell!? What is going on? It's like he doesn't even remember what he was doing 3 seconds ago!_ Inuyasha looks at her, slightly confused.

"What?" he asks, smiling and grabbing her hand, leading Kagome back to Arae-Yin Nae. They stop as the priestess floats away from the back wall to meet them, gliding through a shaft of light that's coming from the ceiling. "What's that?" Inuyasha asks.

"It's sunlight coming through an opening in the ceiling--it was one of the reasons Arae-Yin Nae's shrine was put in this cave." Inuyasha turns to Kagome with a slightly hopeful look. She shakes her head. "It seems too high up to reach and I think too small to fit through," she says. "Maybe...," Kagome is interrupted as Arae-Yin Nae reaches them.

"I will go tell the demon slayer and kitsune that their attack did not work," she says solemnly, floating past the two. "In fact, it made the situation worse." Arae-Yin Nae looks at the couple sadly, focusing on their intertwined fingers.

Kagome suddenly gets irritated. _She thinks were gonna die in here, too!_ Controlling her anger, Kagome speaks to the priestess. "Can you please tell the others what's happened to the ceiling, and that another attack like that won't work?"

Arae-Yin Nae looks up at the girl's determined face and nods. Seeing the anger in Kagome's eyes, the older woman speaks, "I am...sorry...for implying..."

Kagome sighs. "It's all right. I've already said the same thing. But Inuyasha told me that we were gonna get out of here...," Kagome lifts her eyes to Inuyasha's, "...and I believe him," she ends quietly, her anger gone. Inuyasha offers her a small grin and pulls Kagome to him, resting his chin on the top of her head. She wraps her arms around his waist.

"Are there any other openings that they can try?" Inuyasha asks, hugging Kagome back.

"Yes. There is the side entrance--the one the waterfall exited through. But..." Arae-Yin Nae turns to look at the wall, floating a few feet in that direction. "...I do not believe this way will work, either." She squints at the almost smooth stone. "It has been sealed for too long, and the rock has had time to settle." Arae-Yin Nae turns around and floats past Kagome and Inuyasha, who break their hug and follow. The priestess floats back to her altar and looks up through the beam of light, frowning. She brings her gaze back to the hanyou and miko. "I say that your best chance of escape is...," Arae-Yin Nae trails off as she looks at the ceiling again.

Inuyasha and Kagome follow the ray of light to the ceiling. They can't see anything but the light. Inuyasha turns on the flashlight and shines it upward--the beam doesn't even reach the top. "Uh...huh...," he mumbles, as the priestess floats toward the cave opening.

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Sango is trying to retrieve her Hiraitkotsu, which had thankfully gotten stuck near the bottom of the pile of rocks blocking the cave entrance. There are tears drying on her cheeks, as new ones spring up to replace them. Finally getting frustrated, Sango kicks her weapon a few times before plopping onto the ground beside it, burying her head in her hands.

Miroku, who had been attending to the few cuts Shippo had received from the shards of rock flying through the air, walks over and sits beside Sango, wordlessly looking at her own injuries. Sango permits him to examine her, looking up at Shippo, who is now trying to find his top. More tears roll down her cheeks.

"I'm sure they're fine," the monk says, finishing with her wounds and taking one of her hands in his. Sango looks at their hands then up at him, hope in her eyes.

"Really?" she asks, the word catching in her throat.

Miroku nods. "Arae-Yin Nae would have come to tell us if they had gotten caught in that last cave-in. She wouldn't let us..._futilely_...continue our efforts," he manages to choke out, looking down at their hands as well.

Sango waits until the monk looks back up at her before she lifts her other hand and gently lays it on his cheek. Miroku closes his eyes. "Thank-you, Miroku," she whispers.

Miroku inclines his head--a barely noticeable nod--savoring Sango's touch. He opens his eyes and gives the slayer a small smile, turning his head to kiss her hand. Sango blushes and slowly retracts her hand, reaching for her weapon. She sighs. "I guess we should look for another way in."

"There are no other entrances," Arae-Yin Nae says, startling the engaged couple into dropping their clasped hands. She looks down at the two humans, noting the despair creeping onto their faces. "Inuyasha and Kagome are alright--they moved to the back of the cave before it collapsed again."

"Thank goodness," Shippo says, as he and Kilala walk up to the adults, the fox putting his slightly damaged top in a pocket. "What are we gonna do now?" he asks, looking back and forth between Sango and Miroku, frowning as he sees their disheartened expressions.

Sango glances at Miroku before answering. "I...I don't know. Arae-Yin Nae said that there weren't anymore entrances...and Inuyasha's Windscar is the only attack that's even capable of creating an opening." Sango frowns. "Arae-Yin Nae, why doesn't Inuyasha use the Tetsusaiga?"

The priestess stares at her, uncomprehending. "You mean the rusty sword he carries around?" she asks. Everyone nods except Kilala, who offers a low growl. "He can actually use it as a weapon?"

Miroku tilts his head and scowls, furrowing his brow. "Is Inuyasha still wounded? I mean, is one of his hands or arms injured? Specifically his right?"

Arae-Yin Nae thinks a moment, then nods. "His right wrist is bandaged. Even after changing back into a half-demon, Kagome still wrapped it." She looks at Miroku. "I take it that is his sword arm, and he cannot use the weapon because it is injured?"

Miroku sighs. "Figures. I can't use the Wind Tunnel and Inuyasha can't use Tetsusaiga. His sword transforms," he tells the priestess, who still has a puzzled look on her face. "It becomes a large blade capable of cutting down 100 demons at once." Arae-Yin Nae's eyes widen at the news. Miroku smiles. "Ask him to show it to you--it's quite an amazing weapon." Arae-Yin Nae inclines her head absently, imagining what the sword must look like.

"Can't he use his left hand, though," Shippo asks, jumping up to sit on Miroku's knee.

"He...can...," the monk says, "...but he hasn't had as much practice with that hand, so he's bound to be less accurate with it." Miroku thinks for a minute, his mouth set in a grim line. "And I doubt he wants to try using it while he and Kagome are inside the cave, unless he's sure that he can make an exit."

"Oh," Shippo says, thinking of the Windscar bouncing around inside the cavern. He shivers. _Sango's and my attacks already did enough damage--we don't need to make it more difficult for Inuyasha and Kagome to get out._

"And being injured, Kagome isn't likely to let Inuyasha use his right hand unless they don't have any other options," Sango says. "She'd rather wait in the cave 3 or 4 days--depending on the severity of the injury--until it heals and he can lift the sword, or...," the slayer turns to look at Miroku, "...you're Wind Tunnel heals." She sighs. "It may come to that--if we can't find a way in without causing them anymore trouble." Sango turns to Arae-Yin Nae. "We saw inside the entrance briefly--it collapsed after we used our attacks. How much damage did we do?"

The priestess closes her eyes for a few moments before answering. "The other side of this opening...," she says, waving one arm at the boulders behind her, "...has been blocked almost to the center of the cave. Large chunks have fallen out of the ceiling, and cracks that weren't there before are making their way across the roof of the cavern, weakening its stability. The rear of the cave is more sound than up here, but I do not know if your friends have 3 days. Any large vibration may send the rest of the cave crashing down on them," she ends soberly.

Miroku and Sango pale, thinking of the fate that may await their friends. Kilala, though in her bigger form, utters a pitiful mew, and Shippo clenches his fists and jams them into his eyes to keep from crying. After a minute, he stands up on Miroku's knee, tears still threatening to spill onto his cheeks. "We just have to find a way in then," the kitsune says, with much more confidence than he feels.

The others stare at him before small smiles spread across their faces. Sango pats him on the head and stands up. "You're right Shippo. If there aren't any other entrances, we'll just have to make one," she says while grabbing her Hiraitkotsu and yanking it out of the rockpile, her resolve strengthened now that they have another plan. "Arae-Yin Nae, are there any other _openings_ into the cave? Or were there?"

The priestess smiles.

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"Can you get up there?" Kagome asks, looking worredly at the shaft of light disappearing into the darkness overhead. "Do you want the flashlight?"

Inuyasha gives her a "you must be insane" look. "_Nooo_. I can see better than you can, remember?" Kagome sticks her tongue out at him. Inuyasha rolls his eyes. _If I could just get rid of this headache..._ he thinks, pressing his hands against his head.

Kagome watches Inuyasha, frowning. _He still has that headache..._ She walks up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist, laying her head on his back. Inuyasha drops his arms to his sides and closes his eyes. "Promise me you'll be careful, alright? I...," Kagome's words catch in her throat as she thinks about Inuyasha falling from that height.

Inuyasha loosens her arms, turning around to face Kagome. She looks up at him. "I'll be careful. I've got you to come back to--right?" he says softly, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her. Kagome smiles and hugs the hanyou tightly. Inuyasha returns her hug, holding the girl to his chest for several minutes. Reluctantly, he pushes Kagome away.

"Stand back," he says, crouching down. Kagome backs away from the half-demon as Inuyasha looks up at the roof of the cave, which slopes up and away in a circular hollow, toward the opening high above them. Uttering a low growl, Inuyasha jumps to one side of the hollow, digging his claws into the rock with his left hand. He gets his footing, then flips himself over backward, using the momentum to keep traveling upward, bouncing off the walls and hardly using his hands at all. Kagome loses sight of him almost immediately, but she can see evidence of his progress--every few seconds, the beam of light coming through the opening is broken, as Inuyasha leaps back and forth.

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Kilala and Shippo walk past the blocked entrance, around the left side of the cliff face to the exit made by the water leaving the cave. Miroku, Sango, and Arae-Yin Nae trail behind, discussing Kikyo's last words.

"What else did the dead priestess say?" Arae-Yin asks, walking--_floating_--between the demon slayer and monk.

"Not much," Sango sighs. "She just looked at the wispy, smokey..._thing_..., mumbled something that sounded like..._whirl_...then turned to me and said, "Seek...priestess, entombed...Cave of Promises...monk...cure...," Sango ends. She looks at Arae-Yin Nae sadly. "Kikyo was dying...she looked into my eyes and tried to say something else, but didn't have anymore energy. She passed a few seconds later." Sango looks down at her feet, shuffling them through the dirt and rocks.

"A word...that sounded like _whirl_?" Arae-Yin Nae asks. Sango looks up at her and nods. As they round the corner of the cliff, the priestess pauses a moment to think, while the others look up and gasp at what is lying before them.

Spanning this side of the cliff face is a beautiful lake--the early morning sunlight reflecting off the water. Surrounding it is a black, sandy beach, the ancient forest around the edge hiding this tranquil space from all eyes except the birds flying above it. The group stares.

Arae-Yin Nae looks up. "Oh--I forgot this was here," she says, drawing wide-eyed glances from the others. Ignoring them, she floats across the water, the humans and demons walking along the cliff face, where a narrow ledge of rock and sand separates it from the water. "A wispy, smokey, flying thing that sounds like _whirl_? It can only be the Canthathirls-- scavengers that live on the mountain, just past the next valley over," the priestess says, pointing across the lake.

Sango, Miroku, Kilala, amd Shippo look in that direction. They can just see the mountains' peak, surrounded by clouds. Miroku asks, "What are they? How did they give me my _Wind_ _Tunnel_?"

Arae-Yin Nae stops in front of a small pile of rubble. The others crowd at the edge, unable to pass because the rockpile covers the walkway they are on. Instead of answering Miroku's question, Arae-Yin points at the wall of rock. "This was the exit for the water coming into the cave. As you can see, it has been blocked for many years."

Sango steps closer to the cliff wall, examining it closely. "Where is this exit? I mean, relative to the length of the cave, where is this exit located?"

"It is in the middle--where the cracks in the ceiling have begun to form," the priestess replies dryly. She knows that attempting to unblock this entrance will not work.

Sango glances at the others, all of them silently agreeing with the priestess. Sighing, the slayer asks, "Are there any other openings? Any at all?"

Arae-Yin Nae lifts the corners of her mouth a tiny bit. "There is a hole in the roof of the cave," she points upward to the top of the cliff. "But..."

Her eyes widening, Arae-Yin Nae suddenly streaks past them, disappearing into the rock. Shippo, Kilala, Miroku, and Sango exchange nervous glances, disturbed by her unexpected behavior.

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Inuyasha has made it to the top of the hollow in the cave ceiling. Using his feet and his left hand to grab the rock walls, the hanyou stares through the band of light, squinting to see the sky, a few clouds rolling by. The hole is too small for him to crawl through, so Inuyasha reaches his right arm up, trying to see how much farther it is to the outside. His hand doesn't even touch the edge of the hole.

_Damn it! Are we ever gonna get a break?!_ he thinks, pulling his arm back out. Staring down at the gaping hollow below him, Inuyasha looks back at the clouds, a glint of light reflecting off something in the distance. Glancing back down, the half-demon is trying to figure out the best way to descend, when he suddenly feels dizzy.

Putting his right hand to his head, Inuyasha winces in pain as he pushes on his broken wrist, then grits his teeth as he feels a wave of nausea come over him. Swaying, the hanyou loses his grip on the wall, blacking out as he falls into the darkness...

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Kagome is pacing back and forth beneath the beam of light, worry making her grip the flashlight until little bands are left in her skin from the ridges on the handle. Most of it is blocked at the moment, presumably because Inuyasha has reached the top and is checking the opening out.

_I don't need to worry...Inuyasha's climbed in more dangerous places than this...he'll be fine..._the miko thinks. Deciding that she's only stressing herself out--worrying needlessly--Kagome walks over to her pack and fishes out a bottle of water. Taking a long drink, she closes the bottle and sets it and flashlight on the blanket she threw down earlier, trying--and failing--to calm herself down.

As Kagome stares at the light, she suddenly notices that the center of the beam is blocked out. As she watches, the darkened area gets smaller, but doesn't waver in its position inside the beam. Her heart rate speeding up, Kagome runs to the edge of the hollow and looks up. Fear explodes in her chest, making it difficult to breathe.

"INUYASHA!" Kagome screams, as she sees the hanyou falling through the air...

* * *

Hehehe...Am I evil? I try...This isn't even the place I was gonna scare you all with before. Can anyone tell I live in the South? OK-enough rambling. Did everybody get the Star Wars reference? I was trying to describe a light saber, w/o actually describing one. Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars either--George Lucas does. I was gonna have Inuyasha run around using the blanket as a cape, humming the Superman theme song, but I couldn't fit it in. :) Anyways, off to write some more... 


	8. Escape and Engagements

Did everyone like my cliffie? I tried to be mean--cause, I can. **mountainflower** said I wasn't evil--I'll have to try harder.The end of this chaps happy. It wasn't supposed to be but it ended up being _soooo looooong,_ that I had to end it earlier than when it was supposed to. The story's not over after this chap, so don't lose interest just yet. Disclaimer: Inu is not mine-sad.

Thanx to kumikonhan, Avelyn Lauren, mountainflower, and blackenrose for reviewing last chap-you guys are awesome!

There was one part that I couldn't get to work no matter what I tried, so hopefully it came off okay anyway. It bugged the crap out of me forever, but I just couldn't get it to work the way I wanted. Arrggg...

Oh, and for the incantations, I tried to find the main words in Japanese for them, but there is no way those are actually the way you would say those sentences, so take them with a grain of salt. I think that's all...Enjoy!

* * *

Kagome stares. _Inuyasha..._ He's falling--and she can do nothing about it. Everything seems to have slowed down... 

Kagome can feel her heart beating..._thump...thump..._She can see individual dust particles floating before her eyes. But there's no sound in her ears: the world has gone silent.

Inuyasha will hit the cave floor in 3...2...

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Arae-Yin Nae is flying through the outer wall of the cave, going as fast as she can. Breaking free of the rock, the priestess sees Kagome standing in the distance, staring up at the hollow that leads to the outside, her face an expression of horror. Ignoring Inuyasha, Arae-Yin Nae focuses on Kagome, reciting the enchantment in her head. She has only seconds...

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Kagome gasps--she has no control over her body. Yelling a strange incantation while simultaneously raising her palms toward Inuyasha, the young miko sees a blue light surround the hanyou, stopping his descent inches from the floor of the cave, his fingers swirling in the dust.

Kagome can't move. She feels a strange tingling sensation in her fingertips and sees the blue light again. This time she can also see the source of the light--her own hands. The young miko feels weak. Struggling against it, she watches as Inuyasha is set gently on the ground, his limbs and hair fanning out around him. Watching his steady breathing, Kagome suddenly falls forward onto her hands and knees, gasping for air. Tilting her head, she sees Arae-Yin Nae in the same position beside her. Tears streaming down her face, Kagome collapses onto her side, her vision fading as she stares at the elder priestess.

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"Wake up, Kagome."

Kagome turns her head toward the voice, but doesn't open her eyes. They feel like they're on fire. _Everything_ feels like it's on fire. "Uuugggghhhh," she groans.

"I can not help you, Kagome. It was dangerous enough for us a moment ago--merging our souls and our powers. It could kill us both if I did it again to help you now," the voice says.

"I...Inuyasha?" the young miko asks, slowly opening her eyes to see Arae-Yin Nae hovering over her. Kagome's head is pounding. She fights the urge to be sick.

"He is fine, young one. Unconscious, but fine," the priestess answers softly, looking over at the half-demon.

Kagome sits up and looks at Inuyasha, who is still lying in the same position he was before Kagome fainted. Before she can move over to him, Kagome falls back to the ground, gasping for air, her arms trembling from the effort of holding herself up. "What...what happened?" she asks, her eyes losing their focus on the priestess as she fights the dizziness trying to overwhelm her.

Arae-Yin Nae sighs, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples with her fingers.

Kagome watches the woman from her place on the ground. _She looks even paler than before--what did she do to me? To us?_

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"Watch out, Kilala!" Sango yells, as they come upon another outcropping on their way up the cliff face. The two-tailed demon-cat growls in acknowledgement and easily flies around the jutting rock, taking her passengers up and over the last obstacle to the top.

"Oh...wow...," Shippo says in wonder, hopping onto Miroku's head to get a better view.

Before them lies a vast sea of deep-green forest, stretching away to the horizon, where a faint shimmer signals the beginning of the ocean. To their left are many smaller forests dotting the landscape, interspersed with farmlands--the ocean again a faint sliver on the horizon. To the right lies another sea of green, though tall mountains and smaller hills break it up, their view ending with a seemingly impenetrable wall of green and grey. Signaling to Kilala, the group turns around and sees a high mountain, covered with clouds at its peak--the one Arae-Yin Nae had told them to visit. Looking to their right again, they see a smaller mountain, the sun brightening it along it's whole height as they watch. They recognize this mountain.

"That would mean that Kaede's village is probably only another days' walk from here. I wondered how close we were," Miroku says, as they all dismount Kilala.

"We're all gonna need a rest--from the stress alone," Shippo says, wandering around the cliff, taking in his surroundings.

"Be careful, guys. We don't know if any demons might be hiding up here," Sango warns, eyeing what she thinks is an eagle-demon flying away from them. It's too far away now for the slayer to be certain.

"Right," Miroku adds, glancing quickly at what seems to be some sort of wide depression in the ground. "I hope that belonged to the goats," he yells to Sango, who has gone to one edge of the cliff and is leaning over. Miroku feels his heart skip a beat as he sees her, and runs over, grabbing the girls' arm. "What are you doing?!" the monk almost yells, panic tinging his words.

Sango turns to him and smiles before backing up a bit. "Sorry-didn't mean to scare you, Miroku." The monk blushes and loosens his hold on her arm, but doesn't release it. Sango glances at his hand before continuing. "I think all the other sides are almost straight up-and-down, except for this one," she says, pointing.

Miroku looks at her skeptically before finally removing his hand and sliding his sandaled feet cautiously to the edge. Looking down he sees what closely resembles giant stair-steps-- smaller individual cliffs, three of them--the lowermost being right above the cave, where they destroyed one of the twins.

"Watch that first step," Sango says mildly, as she walks away from the edge.

Miroku rolls his eyes and follows after her, heading toward opposite side of the peak. Arae-Yin Nae hadn't told them where the hole in the roof of the cave would be, but they didn't need her to. With the opening collapsed, and the middle starting to crack, the last place for an escape route would be at the back of the cave--which meant the opposite end from the entrance.

Miroku and Sango are halfway there when they hear a tiny, high-pitched yell.

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Using her arms to drag herself, Kagome slowly moves over to Inuyasha, stopping every few feet to rest. Her strength is coming back--albeit not as quickly as she might have liked.

Reaching the unconscious hanyou, Kagome drops her head onto his stomach, breathing heavily. She closes her eyes, willing the nausea and headache she can feel coming on to go away. _When he...wakes up...I'm gonna..._ she thinks angrily.

The young miko had been running through a gambit of emotions since Arae-Yin Nae had told her that Inuyasha wasn't hurt from the fall. Frustration, anger, fear, worry... Kagome is going to take them all out on the half-demon when he wakes up.

Sighing, she listens to Inuyasha's strong heartbeat and steady breathing, letting them soothe her frazzled nerves. _Well...maybe I won't hurt him too much..._

Kagome sees a faint glow through her lids as Arae-Yin Nae floats close to her, allowing the young priestess to catch her breath. Without opening her eyes, Kagome speaks. "So...what happened? What did you do to us?"

Floating closer so that Kagome opens her eyes, Arae-Yin Nae says, "I called a union between the two of us, called "_Toutisu e ki kizuna a'jishou ryoku,"_ which is literally, "Unity of Spirit and Binding of Selves for Power." It is a way for two spiritual beings...," Arae-Yin Nae points to herself, then to Kagome, "...to combine their powers, when the abilities of one or the other are not enough."

Kagome nods, then slowly pushes herself into a sitting position, leaning back on her arms. Placing one hand to her forehead, she asks, "Ok...but why did everything hurt? Why couldn't I breathe? Why..."

The elder priestess puts her pale hands up to stop the young girl's questions. "The reason you felt--_drained_--was because, normally, both parties must recite the incantation, and each individual controls the portion of their total power that will be merged to perform the desired act. In this case, although you are a miko and have a great amount of spiritual power, you do not yet know how to wield it properly. Since I no longer have a body to contain my powers, I had to use yours to stop Inuyasha from falling."

Kagome opens her mouth to ask another question, but Arae-Yin Nae stops her again.

"You, Kagome, had the power, but not the knowledge to save the half-demon, while I had the opposite--the knowledge, but no power. Since I am a spirit, I could--in essence--take control of your body and use your spiritual power, simply by reciting the incantation. Under normal circumstances, a shorter phrase is also used--_Hogo e Tamashii_, or "Protect this Soul"--so that the souls of the two beings are not merged. Since I had only seconds, I disregarded that phrase, relying on my own abilites to keep our souls separate."

Arae-Yin Nae sighs and looks up along the beam of light, closing her eyes as she feels the soft breeze coming down into the cave. "That is why you felt pain and weakness--I had essentially drained your body and soul of their respective energies. Understand?" she asks, looking back at Kagome.

Kagome nods, rubbing her temples like the older miko had done earlier, furrowing her brow in concentration. _This is complicated..._ Looking back up, she asks, "So, if I was weakened, why did you also fall to the ground?"

The priestess breathes in deeply before answering. "I underestimated your powers, Kagome. Even at this young age, you hold far more spiritual energy than I ever did." Kagome blinks in surprise. "If not for my years of training and practice--and your lack thereof--I would not have been able to control you."

Kagome stares at the miko, mouth open slightly in shock. Arae-Yin Nae smiles. "Do not look so surprised. Inuyasha, though he is but a half-demon, has far greater power than most full-blooded demons--correct?" she questions, looking down at the still unconscious hanyou. "Why would it be different for creatures possessing spiritual powers?"

Kagome closes her mouth, though her eyes still give away the news she had just received. _I'll have to talk to Kaede about this later... _

The girl's sit in silence for a few minutes, Kagome still trying to feel normal again; Arae-Yin Nae giving her the time she needs to recover.

Just as Kagome opens her mouth to speak, two things happen: Inuyasha groans and opens his eyes, and the trio hears a yelp from very far away as the light coming from the ceiling is blocked.

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"I will go check it out," Arae-Yin Nae says, immediately floating towards the ceiling.

Kagome jumps up and runs over to grab the flashlight, switching it on as the priestess disappears into the ceiling. Standing in place a moment because the sudden activity made her dizzy, Kagome turns the flashlight on Inuyasha, watching as he blinks at the sudden brightness, then sits up, holding his head.

Biting back the anger building inside of her, Kagome walks back to the hanyou and kneels beside him, placing one hand to his forehead. "Are you ok?"

Inuyasha shakes his head a little, and mumbles something about still having that "damned headache."

Kagome swallows before speaking. "I mean, does anything else hurt? You do know you just fell several hundred feet--right?" she asks, biting her bottom lip to keep from yelling.

The half-demon looks up at her, eyes wide, before glancing up at the dark ceiling. Kagome aims the flashlight in that direction, the beam disappearing into the darkness. "What happened?" he asks, looking back at the miko.

Kagome snaps. "WHAT HAPPENED! YOU SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF ME--THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED!" she screams, making Inuyasha stare and blush slightly at her use of profanity. Kagome _never _used those words. _She's been hanging around me too much..._

"You said you'd be careful! Well, that wasn't careful!" Kagome yells, pointing up for emphasis, as the light from the ceiling comes back. Both of them ignore it.

Inuyasha, suddenly on the defensive, stands up and yells back at her. "It's not like I fell on purpose! I started to get dizzy, then I felt sick, and the next thing I know, you're shining the flashlight at me!"

Kagome, her arms by her sides to keep from striking the hanyou, clenches her fists in frustration and worry before yelling again. "I knew...I _knew_ I shouldn't have let you go up there! With that headache that won't go away..."

Inuyasha interrupts, indignant. "_Let _me!? Let _me_!? Since when do you tell me what to do, woman?!" he asks, getting in Kagome's face. The half-demon instantly regrets his choice of words.

Before Kagome realizes what she's doing, a recently neglected, but very familiar command flies from her lips. "SIT, BOY!"

The miko immediately recognizes her mistake as the beads around Inuyasha's neck start to glow. _No..._

Everything starts to slow down again...Kagome sees shock and fear cross the hanyou's face--echoing her own horror--as he plummets toward the ground...the fact that Inuyasha is still hurt and that slamming into the ground is one of the worst things that could happen to him at this moment...and the realization that Kagome doesn't actually want to "sit" him.

Without knowing what she's doing, Kagome unclenches her right fist as a series of strange words float through her head. She doesn't even open her mouth.

Gaping, Kagome stares at what she's just done...

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"Shippo! What are you doing?" Miroku yells, as he and Sango walk around some bushes concealing the kitsune, seeing only see the top half of the fox-demon. The adults stop in their tracks as Kilala flies up to them, immediately changing back into her smaller form. All three hold back smiles at what they see before them.

"Can someone get me out of here please?" Shippo asks, struggling to pull himself out of the hole in the ground.

Sango hands her Hiraitkotsu to Miroku and bends over, grabbing him under the arms and pulling. It takes a few tries, but Shippo finally pops free of the hole, flying out of Sango's hands and into Miroku's. He sighs, rubbing his sore backside. "Thanks, Sango."

"Anytime," the demon slayer responds, taking her weapon back from the monk as the group looks down at the small opening into the cave. "Well, they're not gonna be climbing out of there," she says sarcastically.

"I should say not," Arae-Yin Nae says, coming up through the ground near the hole. The others looked alarmed for a moment before they realize it's only the priestess. "Once you're free of the rock, there is a drop of almost 500 feet on the other side." The priestess decides not to tell them of the half-demon's fall. _Kagome and Inuyasha can tell that story later, if they so choose..._

"So," Miroku begins, looking from the miko to the hole and back again. "...how do they get out through here?" Sango and Shippo look to the priestess, waiting for an answer, as Kilala starts to walk towards the hole.

"I would not try that if I were you," she says, looking at the demon-cat. Kilala mews in response and sits down. "The other end of that hole is narrower than up here. You would probably get stuck."

Sango shakes her head at how Arae-Yin Nae and Kilala somehow communicated with each other. "So we need to make it bigger? How? And what if the cave...collapses?" she asks, her voice uneasy.

Arae-Yin Nae frowns, glancing back down at the rock beneath her feet. For a moment she looks as if she's going to run off again, but then only nods and begins speaking, her hand on her chin.

"This area of the cave is the most stable, but let us assume that it is not, and take the quickest and safest route of action," the priestess says, thinking back to the rockslide at the entrance to the cave. "We _do not_ want another collapse...," she says, trailing off. The others exchange nervous glances. They know what will happen if this opening is closed off.

"How big would you say this hole would have to be for Inuyasha and Kagome to fit through it?" she asks, looking around at the humans and demons watching her with interest.

Sango and Miroku exchange a confused look before backing away from the hole, spreading their arms to gauge the distance across they think it should be. "Probably...about...I don't know...six feet by six feet? What do you think, Miroku?" Sango says, turning to look at the monk.

"Yeah...that's sounds good...6 x 6... I assume Inuyasha will be carrying Kagome, since there is a great drop on the inside?" he asks Arae-Yin Nae.

The priestess looks at him for a moment, hesitating. Slowly she nods. _I hope..._

The others stare at her, confused at her uncertainty. They shrug it off, thinking that she's just worried about the two trapped inside the cave.

"You said that Inuyasha's _Windscar_ was the only attack capable of creating an opening?" the priestess asks, getting nods from everyone.

"It's the only attack that has enough power and could be aimed, or focused, enough to make one through this rock," Miroku says, as he and Sango come back to stand next to the hole. "But he can't use the sword--and even if he were able to wield Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha would never be able to concentrate the energy from the attack that much. It'd probably blow out the whole roof of the cave, making it collapse again," he finishes, a slightly depressed look on his face.

"But...what if there was a way to focus it?" Arae-Yin Nae asks. "Would it work then?"

The small group exchange bewildered looks before Sango speaks. "I...don't see why not. But how could he possibly focus that amount of energy? And into such a small space? The _Windscar_ is meant to be a extensive, powerful, killing attack."

Arae-Yin Nae smiles. "I have an idea," she says, earning herself more confused glances. "I need you to clear out the area around the hole to about 6 feet x 6 feet--is that what you said?" The humans nod. "Once you are finished, block the hole for a few seconds, so that we will know you are ready, then stand back at a safe distance. You are going to be seeing your friends very soon," the priestess says, grinning as she disappears into the cliff.

Staring after her briefly, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kilala begin clearing the area of rocks, brush, and demon bones.

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Kagome is standing above Inuyasha, a faint blue light coming from her fingertips. In front of her, Inuyasha is face-down, but he's not lying on the ground. There's a soft blue glow coming from between the hanyou and his necklace's intended goal. Kagome stares.

Looking from the half-demon to her hands, Kagome slowly curls her fingers into a fist, both lights going out as Inuyasha is laid gently on the ground. He doesn't move for a minute, but simply breathes in and out, stirring the dust around his face. Kagome continues to stare, in both awe and shock at what has happened.

She watches as Inuyasha slowly stands up and looks her in the eyes, a deadly calm to his voice. "What the _hell_ happened, Kagome?" he asks, a mixture of hurt, confusion, fear, and respect in his amber eyes.

Kagome looks from his face to her hand, then back to his face as tears start to form in her eyes. Throwing herself at the hanyou, she wraps her arms around his middle and cries into his hoari. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha! I didn't mean to do it! It just slipped out! I'm sorry!" she yells, beating her head against his chest.

As Kagome pulls her head back to slam it against him again, Inuyasha brings his hands up and pushes her against him, stopping her senseless pounding. "I know...," he growls, bending his head and resting his cheek against her hair. Kagome slowly stops sobbing. "It was provoked. I know you were just worried about me. But...why didn't I actually hit the ground? What did you do to stop the spell?" he asks, tilting her head back to look in the miko's eyes.

"I...I don't know," Kagome answers, stepping back and wiping her tear-stained cheeks. "I...just...I thought that I didn't actually want you to hit the ground...that I'd do anything to stop...the spell...," she says, sniffling. "...and then, my fingers...seemed to be...like, electrified... they felt as if I'd gotten shocked or something...," Kagome lifts her hand and flexes her fingers, closing them in a fist a few times. "...and these...strange words flew through my head...and you stopped moving...just...in mid-air...," she ends, bringing her hands to her face as she starts crying again.

Inuyasha grabs her arms and pulls her into a hug, running his hands through her hair. He hears Kagome mumble something and pushes her back. "What?"

"I said, I think Arae-Yin Nae needs to explain a few things when we get out of here," she says. Kagome stares at Inuyasha a moment, gauging how he will react to her next sentence. She grabs his hoari in her fists before speaking, to make sure that the hanyou doesn't try to back away. He looks at her with surprise.

"Promise me something, Inuyasha. Promise me that once we get out of here, and help Miroku with his Wind Tunnel, and reform the Sacred Jewel, and...and maybe save Kohaku and get you and Sesshomaru to actually _talk_ once in awhile...," Kagome pauses as the half-demon scowls at the mention of his brother. Taking a breath, the miko continues. "Tell me that you'll...that you'll...come...to... my era, Inuyasha. To live...with...me, " she ends quietly.

The hanyou stares. _What...? _Swallowing the lump preventing him from speaking, Inuyasha opens his mouth, but no words come out.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome says, "I...I know that you and Ki...Kikyo were supposed to be mar...," the young priestess whispers, looking away. "...married. And I'm not holding out hope that you would want...to...again...but...," she looks back at the hanyou, watching his eyes. "...I want to be with you...I...I love you, Inuyasha," she utters, staring at the ground as her cheeks redden.

Inuyasha gapes at Kagome as she finishes speaking. _That's...the first time...she's told me... _he thinks, swallowing again. _But...why would she say...?_ The half-demon's eyes widen as remembers one of their early conversations, where Kagome had told him that it was her dream to marry someone she loved and raise a couple of kids with that person. He had stupidly told Kagome that he wasn't gonna fall for that "marriage" thing again, because of what had happened with Kikyo. As he silently curses himself for saying something so idiotic, it dawns on Inuyasha that Kagome thinks--and is prepared--to give up at least one of those dreams, if not both, because she wants to be with him. Grabbing the miko's shoulders and making her look him straight in the eyes, Inuyasha forces his question out. "Kagome...do...do you know what you're asking?"

Never breaking eye contact, Kagome pauses a few seconds before slowly nodding. "Yes," she whispers.

Inuyasha gasps at the finality with which she utters the word. _She's...really serious about this..._ The only question left now is: Does Inuyasha want to be with Kagome enough to give his word--in this moment, when neither of them may make it out of the situation alive--to stay with her?

The hanyou fights to hide a grin as he doesn't even have to consider another answer to that question. Taking her hands in his good one, Inuyasha carefully places the fingers of his injured hand against her cheek before speaking. "If you agree to do something for me," he says, stepping closer to the miko. Kagome tilts her head to look at him, confusion in her brown eyes. "If you'll consent to marry me, Kagome," Inuyasha says softly.

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Kagome stares, her mouth open. She hadn't even considered this possibility--Inuyasha had made it clear that he had no need or desire to ever get married. Rolling the idea around in her head, it takes the miko only seconds to agree to his request. But he has to tell her something first. "Say it," she says, an excited, but determined look on her face.

Inuyasha looks surprised. "Say what?" he asks, raising one eyebrow at her.

_He knows what I mean..._ Kagome pulls her hands out of his grasp and places them on her hips, almost glaring at the half-demon, but with a sparkle in her eyes. "You know what--say it," she repeats, a smile forming on her lips.

Almost panicking, Inuyasha takes a step back, holding his hands in front of him. "Why...why do I have to say it? You know I...,"

"I know--but I still need to hear it. I told you," she offers, the smile starting to disappear from her face, her excitement fading at the hanyou's reluctance.

Inuyasha can't stand it--the disappointment in her dark eyes. Summoning his courage, the half-demon takes a deep breath and utters the words Kagome had waited so long to hear. "I love you, Kagome."

Kagome launches herself at Inuyasha, wrapping her arms around his neck and bringing her lips to his in a passionate kiss. It takes him a couple of seconds to respond, embracing the girl and lifting her up in the air, laughing as she breaks from his lips and begins placing kisses all over his face. "Alright, alright," he says, setting Kagome back on the ground.

She immediately brings his head down to hers, placing their foreheads together. "I swear I'll marry you," the young miko says, looking into his sunset-colored eyes.

Inuyasha smiles. "And after we finish everything here, I'm gonna be with you in your time, Kagome--I promise," he says, receiving a smile and another kiss from his..._fiancee_. He liked the sound of that.

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"I was going to suggest a way out, but maybe I should leave you two alone," Arae-Yin Nae says, floating down through the cave ceiling, catching their last embrace. Inuyasha and Kagome look up, reddening at the priestesses' words. She smiles as she lands next to them.

"No--I think we're ready to get out of here. Inuyasha and I can finish this later," Kagome says, winking at the older miko, causing Arae-Yin Nae to burst out laughing and the half-demon to blush brightly. "But first, I...uh, _used_ my powers a little while ago. I...uh, cast a spell on Inuyasha."

Arae-Yin Nae smiles again. "I know. I felt the energy from the top of the cliff."

Kagome and Inuyasha stare at her. "You knew? Why...why didn't you come back right then?" Kagome demands, a hint of fear in her voice. "What if I was doing something dangerous?"

Arae-Yin Nae sighs, floating over to Kagome's backpack and bow and quiver, gesturing for them to prepare to leave. The couple complies as the priestess explains why she did not return immediately. "I believe, Kagome, that when we merged our powers, I unkowingly released yours--even though you are not ready to handle them yet."

Inuyasha opens his mouth to ask a question, but Kagome whispers, "I'll explain later." The hanyou nods, apparently satisfied with her answer as Arae-Yin Nae continues to speak.

"I sensed your level of energy, and determined that there was not a danger to either you or Inuyasha. Therefore, I finished speaking with your friends before I returned here," Arae-Yin Nae says.

Kagome nods, then stands up, putting on her backpack and quiver, holding her bow at her side. "But...what...did I do? I...didn't even have to speak any words--they just sort of..._flew_...through my head and a blue light showed up. It was like the spell you used to save Inuyasha, but not quite," she says, as they follow Arae-Yin Nae back over to the beam of light

"It was the same spell I used to save him," the older miko says as they come to a stop in the beam. "The words I told you about were the ones allowing me to use your powers. I had to recite a different set of words to cast the spell I wanted. _Seifuku un Kaze--_meaning "Conquer the Wind"--lets me enclose and control air. When Inuyasha was falling, I wrapped his body in a sort of "bubble," and allowed him to land gently--instead of...otherwise," Arae-Yin Nae says. "I imagine that you had a similar result when casting the spell?"

Kagome thinks for a moment, then nods, remembering the "cushion of air" which had prevented Inuyasha from hitting the ground. Arae-Yin inclines her head--she had expected as much. "I imagine that since we shared souls for a small amount of time...," the priestess stares at Kagome a moment before continuing. "...that some of our knoweledge, memories, and emotions have passed to the other. That is how you knew the spell, though no one has apparently taught you any as of yet."

Kagome looks alarmed, glancing at Inuyasha to see that he shares her concern as he asks, "Kagome isn't going to be hurt by this...exchange...is she?"

Arae-Yin Nae smiles. "No. It just means that things she herself did not learn, and feelings that are not hers, will surface until Kagome learns to suppress them...or not," she says, raising her eyebrows at the young miko.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asks, surprised. "Why would I want to keep memories that aren't my own?"

"You never know when such knowledge may come in handy, young one," the priestess replies, earning confused looks from the miko and the hanyou. "I myself have gained pieces of information from you." Kagome stares at her. "I intended to ask where your strange clothing and...items...came from, but I have already learned the answers from the short time I was merged with you. So many fascinating things...in the future...," Arae-Yin Nae says wistfully.

_She sounds like Sota does when I come here..._ Kagome thinks, exchanging a look with Inuyasha that says both of them think the priestess has been alone for too long.

Coming back to herself, Arae-Yin Nae says, "In any case, try your hardest not to cast any more spells that may...surface...until you are able to train. Many spells require much more control than the _Seifuku un Kaze_. You are not yet ready for those," the priestess says as the beam of light they are standing in vanishes, only to return a few seconds later.

"What was that?" Inuyasha asks.

"That was the signal, Inuyasha," Arae-Yin Nae says. "It is time for you two to leave this place."

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"Inuyasha, would you draw your sword, please?" the priestess asks.

Confused as to what Arae-Yin Nae could want with Tetsusaiga, the half-demon and Kagome exchange a glance before he grabs the sword's hilt with his left hand, awkwardly withdrawing it from its sheath. The rusty form of Tetsusaiga is immediately replaced by a large, curved blade with silver fur waving gently at the guard.

Arae-Yin Nae stares. _The monk was right...it is an amazing weapon... _Shaking her head, her dark hair swinging back and forth, Arae-Yin Nae turns to Kagome. "Please withdraw one of your arrows, Kagome."

Exchanging another look with Inuyasha, Kagome does as she's asked, gripping the arrow in her hand and looking at the priestess. "Could you please tell us what you're planning Arae-Yin Nae?" Kagome asks, uncertainty in her voice.

The elder miko smiles. "You are going to use Tetsusaiga's _Windscar_ to widen the hole in the ceiling and escape," she says, looking up. When she turns back to them, Inuyasha and Kagome are staring at her, their mouths open in shock.

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"What?!" Kagome blurts out, her voice so high that Inuyasha has to step away and cover his ears.

"Owww...," he growls, glaring at the miko.

"Sorry, Inuyasha," Kagome apologizes. "But...how am I supposed to do that?" she asks, looking at Arae-Yin Nae with panic.

"Calm down, child. I am going to show you how," Arae-Yin Nae says quietly. "First, Inuyasha," she says, turning to the hanyou, "...please call upon your attack." He looks at her with wide eyes. "Do not use it--simply call upon the energy normally required for you to use the _Windscar_."

Inuyasha nods, looking down at Tetsusaiga and frowning in concentration. Almost immediately a faint breeze begins to blow around the sword, along with a bright yellow light.

"Good. Now, Kagome, hold up your arrow and close your eyes, then repeat after me. Focus only on the words I tell you--nothing else," the priestess says, her voice deadly serious.

Kagome nods, her hand shaking slightly as she listens to Arae-Yin Nae's words.

"_Denwawokakeru e No Ya a Ryoku io Windscar, Kariru et Tetsusaiga._"

Kagome listens intently, concentrating on Arae-Yin Nae's voice and the chant flowing from her lips. Repeating the words, the young miko feels her hand grow warm, while the same tingling sensation that she felt in her fingertips when she cast the spell on Inuyasha returns. She hears the half-demon gasp as Arae-Yin Nae tells Kagome to open her eyes. Doing so, the miko looks down at her hand, her eyes widening. Lying in her palm is the arrow, a smaller version of the Windscar's power swirling in yellow bursts around it. Kagome looks up at Arae-Yin Nae as the priestess smiles.

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Still in shock at what she's just done, it takes Kagome a minute to realize that Arae-Yin Nae is talking to her. "What?" she asks, staring back down at the arrow.

"I said, Kagome, that I suggest you do the same to a second arrow--in case the first is not enough, or the ceiling begins to cave-in," Arae-Yin Nae says, smiling amusedly at the girl.

"Oh...," Kagome says vaguely, withdrawing a second arrow and placing it next to the first, then closing her eyes. A minute later she opens them to find another swirling light surrounding that arrow.

"Wow...," Inuyasha says, letting the power around Tetsusaiga fade and resheathing the sword, then stepping closer to the miko. "You're gonna have to do some training, Kagome. No telling what you're able to do...," he says trailing off. Kagome turns to look at him, still in a daze at what she's just done.

"Are you two ready to go?" Arae-Yin Nae asks.

Kagome turns to look at her, finally seeming to come back to herself. "What did I say?" she asks, holding up the arrows by their tips, watching the energies whirl up and down the arrows' lengths.

"You said, "Invoke this arrow with the power of the Windscar, borrowed from Tetsusaiga," Arae-Yin Nae says, smiling.

"That's all?" Inuyasha asks, taking one of the arrows from Kagome. It feels exactly like he's holding a mini-version of his sword, except that it's an arrow.

Arae-Yin Nae scowls at the hanyou, and is about to reprimand him when Kagome interrupts. "It's more complicated than that, Inuyasha," she says, taking the arrow back. "The amount of focus and energy I had to use to control the transfer is enormous. It's much more than just the power of the attack. Being half-demon you probably wouldn't notice, but anyone attempting to do this without having their own spiritual power would have been killed by the _Windscar_. It's similar to your _Backlash Wave_, except that instead of sending the attack back at you, I'm focusing it into this," she ends, looking down at the arrows.

"Oh...," Inuyasha says, not understanding anything Kagome just said.

Arae-Yin Nae grins. "Excellent, Kagome. You will make an exceptional priestess one day," she says, praising the girl. Kagome blushes at the compliment. "Well...if you two are ready...?" the miko asks. Inuyasha and Kagome nod. "...simply shoot the arrow like normal, aiming through the beam of light to the hole in the ceiling." Kagome puts one of the arrows back in her quiver and notches the other to her bowstring. "I suggest, however, that you are prepared to leave immediately...and that you have the second arrow ready...in case you should need it," Arae-Yin Nae says, floating through the ceiling.

Kagome looks at Inuyasha, who withdraws the other arrow she had just put away and puts it crossways in his mouth. Kagome fights the urge to laugh before taking it from him. "I don't want you to break it," she says, earning a scowl from the half-demon as she places it between her own teeth.

Crouching down, Inuyasha waits for Kagome to get on his back, placing his wounded arm behind her, grunting in pain as he pushes on his wrist.

"Can you do this?" Kagome asks, yanking the arrow out of her mouth.

"I don't really have a choice, Kagome," he says, walking beneath the beam of light and looking up. "Just be ready to hang on, okay?"

"Okay--go as soon as I shoot," she says, placing the second arrow back in her mouth.

"Right," Inuyasha growls, crouching down.

Aiming the arrow up, Kagome mumbles, "Kun I thay eet?"

Turning his head to look at her, Inuyasha asks, "Say what?" Kagome smiles. Inuyasha rolls his eyes as he turns back around. "Whatever," he mumbles, a small smile forming on his lips.

Pulling back on the bowstring, Kagome releases the first modified arrow, shouting "WEENDCAR!" as it flies upward, engulfed in swirling blue and yellow light.

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"Are they ever coming out?" Shippo asks, pacing back and forth behind the large boulder they were using as shelter.

"Arae-Yin Nae probably had to explain what to do," Sango says, glancing around the rock. There's still no activity around the hole. "She'll come back when Inuyasha and Kagome are about come out." The tajiya glances at Miroku, who is petting Kilala, but with obvious signs of worry etched on his face. He smiles as he notices Sango watching him.

"They'll be out soon," he says, reaching over and patting Shippo on the head. At that moment, Arae-Yin Nae pops up out of the ground, scaring Shippo so badly that he tranforms into his tiny horse form.

"Don't do that!" the kitsune yells, changing back, shaking from the fright he just had.

"I am sorry--I did not mean to scare you," Arae-Yin Nae apologizes, squatting before the small demon.

"It's alright," Shippo says, crossing his arms. "I wasn't that scared, anyway."

Arae-Yin Nae, Miroku, and Sango exchange amused looks as all three stand. "They should be here any...," The priestess is cut off as the ground starts shaking and a loud rumbling fills their ears. Everyone runs to the side of the boulder, stopping to gasp as they see what is happening.

Several feet above the hole, _something_ has just disintegrated into thousands of pieces, a whirl of blue and yellow wind disappearing into the air. Pieces of rock, dust, roots, and bones are flying out of the hole, showering the surrounding area with debris as the once tiny hole is enlarged to several times it's width.

Sango takes a step toward the uproar, but stops when, Arae-Yin Nae, says, "Wait."

Confused, the demon-slayer looks back to the hole just as another tornado of larger stones and rubble flies out of the ground, shooting up into the air several hundred feet, the blue and yellow light carrying the debris twice as far as the first attack. Sango sees a tiny sliver of..._an arrow?!..._ in the middle of all the commotion, before Miroku grabs her and ducks back behind the boulder, the sounds of rocks and bones being crushed against the far side of their barrier, dust and smaller pieces of debris flying past the edge of the rock.

As they wait for the torrent to stop, Arae-Yin Nae floats away from the boulder, looking towards the hole. She smiles and points in that direction.

Coughing a little from the dust in the air, Sango, Miroku, Kilala, and Shippo run around the boulder.

Standing beside the much larger hole, covered head-to-toe in dust and grime, are Inuyasha and Kagome, huge smiles on their faces.

* * *

See? Was that ok? (Bites nails nervously...) Oh...but we're not done yet...Mwahaha. Inuyasha still has that headache--remember? ;) I just realized that Arae-Yin Nae smile _alot_. She's just a very happy spirit-huh? 


	9. Troubles

Here's chap 9 guys. It's long, too. It sould have been done last night, but I did something stupid and deleted it...and hadn't saved it yet. Needless to say, I was not amused. But, anyway, here it is. Thanks to everybody who reviewed--you guys are way cool! I hope this chap doesn't let you down. Well, Dozo!

* * *

"Kagome!" Shippo yells, running away from the others and jumping into the miko's arms, hugging her tightly. The girl hugs him back, but before she can respond the small kitsune hops over to Inuyasha's shoulder, hugging him around the neck. "What took you so long, Inuyasha?!" the fox asks, tears running down his cheeks as he buries his face under the hanyou's hair.

Inuyasha picks up the small demon by his tail and holds him upside-down in front of his face. "Had something to do first, kid," he says, glancing sideways at Kagome. She blushes and looks away as they walk to the others. Flipping the kitsune over, Inuyasha sets him back on his shoulder, smiling to himself when Shippo hugs his neck again. "Missed you too, runt," he whispers, making the fox burst into more tears.

"Kagome!" Sango yells, dropping her Hiraikotsu and hugging the girl she thought of as a sister. "I'm so glad you two are ok," she says, tears filling her brown eyes as she turns and hugs Inuyasha. He's slightly surprised--he doesn't think Sango has ever hugged him before--hesitating a few seconds before patting her on the back.

While Sango is embracing Inuyasha, Miroku pulls Kagome into his arms, whispering, "Welcome back," in her ear.

"Thanks," she says, hugging the monk tightly before he breaks away and turns to Inuyasha, intending to offer the half-demon his hand. Everyone is surprised when the hanyou puts his arms around the monk.

"It's good to see you, Miroku," he says while withdrawing, confused by strange looks the others are giving him. "What?"

Kagome frowns. _We really need to see Kaede_... she thinks, as Kilala hops onto her shoulder and nuzzles her neck. The nekomata does the same to Inuyasha, mewing at them both as she returns to Sango.

After the greetings are finished, Miroku turns to Arae-Yin Nae, who had kept her distance as the friends reunited. Bringing his hands together, the monk bows to Arae-Yin Nae. "Thank you, priestess, for all your help. It is likely that we would not have seen our friends again if not for your assistance." The others all follow his lead.

The elder miko smiles at the group before her. "It was my pleasure," she says, bowing her head at them, her dark hair falling softly over her shoulders.

The seven of them stand there a few moments before Shippo asks, "Well, what do we do now?"

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Inuyasha and Kagome are standing on the black sand next to the hidden pond, checking cuts and scrapes they acquired during their escape, patching up Inuyasha's injuries from the cave, and washing off all the dirt and grime they collected. Shippo is helping them while Miroku, Sango, Kilala, and Arae-Yin Nae sit on a fallen log beside the tree-line, discussing Miroku's problem.

"As I said before, Canthathirls are scavengers that live on that mountain," Arae-Yin Nae says, pointing past the water. They eat other demons--but only after they have died--usually. Living things are almost always too difficult to catch." She frowns, trying to remember _something_...

The priestess sighs after a minute, hoping the thought will come back to her. "I do not know how they gave you your "Wind Tunnel" Miroku, but they feed by creating tiny vortexes, sucking up their "prey."" Arae-Yin Nae brings her pale hand to her face and rests her chin on it. "This _Naraku_--what kind of demon was he?"

"He was made up of many youkai," Sango says. "He was an evil human--named Onigumo--who gave up his soul to many demons, who together created the youkai Naraku."

"Made of many demons? Could he absorb more? More demons, I mean?" the priestess asks.

"Yes. He would absorb more to gain power for himself," Miroku replies. "Do you think he absorbed one of the Canthathirls, so that he could create my grandfather's vortex?"

"Canthathirls?" Kagome asks as she, Inuyasha, and Shippo walk up to them, sitting down on an adjacent log.

"Scavengers that live on that mountain...," Sango says, pointing behind them, "...that eat by creating small vortexes and sucking in their food. Kikyo said to see the priestess enshrined in the Cave of Promises to find out about the smoky creature we saw floating away from Naraku."

"That's where I'd heard of you, Area-Yin Nae," Kagome says, snapping her fingers. "Kikyo only had time to whisper your name to me before Naraku hit us with his last attack--sending us flying." Kikyo and Kagome had flown in opposite directions when the attack hit. Kikyo had landed near the tajiya, who had held the dead priestess as she died...again. But Kagome had slammed into Inuyasha, sending both of them into a tree and knocking her unconscious. Both of them had missed Kikyo's last words. The miko frowns. "Cave of Promises?" she asks.

"The cave you two were in was called that when Arae-Yin Nae was the priestess in this area." Shippo says. "People used to come and make oaths or agreements or whatever, because the cave was rumored to have some sort of magic that prevented the vows from being broken." The kitsune frowns at Inuyasha and Kagome, who are staring at him, their cheeks reddening. "What?"

"Well, it looks like you're stuck with me now," Inuyasha says, turning to Kagome. The girl blushes an even deeper shade of red.

Arae-Yin Nae watches the two of them for a moment before she asks, "What did you two say?"

Kagome glances quickly at the priestess, taking a deep breath before speaking. "I...Inuyasha said he'd come live with me...in my time." The others stare at her, their mouths opened slightly. Kagome continues before anyone has an opportunity to speak. "And...I told Inuyasha that I would marry him."

"What?!" Miroku, Sango, and Shippo yell, standing up. Kilala stands and mews loudly.

"Really?!" Sango asks, running over to her friend and hugging the girl tightly. Tears start forming in the slayer's eyes as she pulls back from Kagome. "Took you long enough, Inuyasha," she says, turning to the hanyou and laughing as she notices his scowl. Kissing his cheek, Sango laughs again as the hanyou blushes before she sits back down.

Miroku is hugging Kagome, whispering something in her ear. The miko lifts her arm and punches the monk in the head while saying, "As if, Miroku," and crossing her arms. The houshin rubs his head and grins, earning a smile from Kagome before she hugs him again.

Turning to Inuyasha, Miroku smirks. "What exactly did you two _do_ while you were in the cave, Inuyasha?" getting a glare and a growl from the half-demon. The monk laughs before offering his hand, which Inuyasha takes tentatively. "Congratulations, you two. You have my blessing," he says seriously. The hanyou shakes his hand before Miroku takes his seat again.

Shippo, who had been standing to the side while Sango and Miroku congratulated the pair, now walks up to the couple. He looks back and forth from one to the other, tears flowing down his cheeks. Jumping into Kagome's lap, he hugs her tightly before hopping over to Inuyasha and wrapping his small arms around the hanyou. The kitsune leans back and opens his mouth, but no words come out. Bursting into tears again, the tiny fox buries his head in Inuyasha's haori. The hanyou smiles a little as he pats the fox on the back.

Kilala walks over the logs to Inuyasha, jumping to his shoulder and nuzzling his neck while giving him a soft mew. She hops over to Kagome and does the same before settling in the girl's lap, purring as the miko strokes her fur.

Arae-Yin Nae smiles the small group. _They are all so... close..._ she thinks. "Kagome. Inuyasha. Did you two specifically say the words, "I promise...," or "...I swear," or something similar?"

The two exchange a confused look before nodding. "I assume the wording has some importance, priestess?" Miroku asks.

Arae-Yin Nae nods. "Yes. For the magic--if it is still in effect, or ever was--to work, the oath or vow has to be said in accordance with one of the binding words: swear, promise, vow, and the like."

"So...does this mean...we're _forced_ to keep our word--no matter what?" Inuyasha asks, frowning.

"And what does that mean?" Kagome asks, glaring at the hanyou.

Inuyasha turns to face her, rolling his eyes. "Calm down, woman. I was just asking if...if... should something...happen...," he trails off, a slightly depressed look on his face.

"Like what?" Kagome asks, still glaring at him, but curious as to what he's trying to say.

Inuyasha sighs, a sad expression in his eyes. "Like...what if your family doesn't want you to marry a...a half-demon?" he asks, his face falling at the thought.

Kagome's heart breaks as she watches him. Her face softens as she reaches over and grabs his hand, twining her fingers with his. "First off, my family likes you--they always have. Mom, gramps, and Sota should have no problem with me marrying you. Especially Sota, as he already thinks of you as an older brother, anyway." Inuyasha smiles a little at this, thinking about how Kagome's little brother always wants to hang out with him when he goes to Kagome's time. "Second, even if they did have a problem, that's not gonna stop me." Inuyasha raises his eyebrows at the girl. "I have to do what's gonna make me happy--and that's being with you," Kagome finishes, pulling the half-demon closer so she can kiss him.

The two stay like this until a soft giggle grabs their attention. Looking down, they see Shippo still sitting in Inuyasha's lap, a huge grin on his face. Glancing up, they see similar expressions on Arae-Yin Nae's, Miroku's, and Sango's faces. Blushing, the couple breaks apart, but leaves their hands clasped together.

"Again, the magic of the cave was supposed to be a _rumor_. There has never been any actual proof that those who gave their word have actually been compelled to keep it--at least none that I know of," Arae-Yin Nae says. "If you two made promises to each other, the decision to keep them or not is yours alone." The priestess looks over at the newly engaged couple, smiling a little at their hands. "But, I think that choice has already been made," she says softly.

Inuyasha and Kagome start to blush again before Sango interrupts, taking pity on the embarrassed couple. "I think we were talking about Canthathirls," the slayer remarks, drawing everyone's attention back to Miroku's problem.

"Yes. The creatures that eat by sucking up demons through tiny vortexes," Arae-Yin Nae says, earning a disgusted look from Shippo. "You said that _Naraku_ could absorb other demons?" Everyone nods. Arae-Yin Nae is about to speak again when Inuyasha suddenly stands up, dropping Shippo onto his rump, and runs to the lake, jumping in and swimming towards the other side. Everyone stares except for Kagome, who groans and puts her head in her hands, and Arae-Yin Nae, who has a pained expression on her face.

"What...what was that?" Shippo asks, tentatively, standing and rubbing his rump. Kagome picks him up and sets him in her lap next to Kilala, sighing before she speaks, looking at Arae-Yin Nae.

"We need to leave soon. I think he's getting worse," she says softly to the priestess, who nods. Turning to the others, Kagome says, "Inuyasha was...injured in the cave-in--while he was human. He's been acting strange ever since he woke up. I...I think he's got a head injury. He needs to see Kaede as soon as possible," she says, noticing Inuyasha walking out of the water with several fish in each hand. "He hasn't noticed that he's doing anything out of the ordinary, so don't make a big deal out of his actions until we can get back to Kaede's village," she tells everyone in a low voice, hoping the hanyou didn't hear. The others look at her with wide eyes, but nod at the young miko's request.

"Look what I got guys," Inuyasha says brightly as he returns. He apparently hadn't heard what Kagome had told the others. She gives him a fake grin and sets Kilala and Shippo on the log, taking the fish from Inuyasha and digging in her backpack for supplies to prepare and cook them with. Despite his odd behavior, Inuyasha's catch is a good thing, as no one had eaten since yesterday. Noticing Inuyasha still holding something in his hand, Kagome's reaches over and grabs his wrist.

"What're you holding, Inuyasha?" she asks.

"Nothing...," he says vaguely, switching whatever he was hiding to his other hand. Kagome raises one eyebrow at him, but decides that it's probably not worth arguing over and goes back to the fish. Following her lead, the others ignore the incident.

As Sango gets up to help, Arae-Yin Nae continues as if there hadn't been an interruption. "So, Naraku can absorb demons, and it seems that he absorbed one of the scavengers so that he would have the ability to create a similar wind current." The priestess frowns. "I do not know what his goal was, but that youkai did not know one secret of the Canthathirls."

"What's that?" Sango asks, roasting a few fish over the fire she and Kagome had started.

"That the Canthathirls cannot be destroyed--except by their own vortexes," Arae-Yin Nae answers. Everyone stares at her. "It is true. And it explains why that demon floated away when Naraku was killed. Though it was absorbed into Naraku--and he apparently used it create your grandfather's _Wind Tunnel_, Miroku--the Canthathirl did not die. It stayed dormant inside Naraku until he was destroyed--when it was released from it's imprisonment--then likely flew back to it's brethren on the mountain," she says, sighing. The priestess had just remembered something.

"What is it?" Miroku asks, sensing the priestess has more to say.

"The Canthathirls can only be destroyed by being sucked into their own vortexes--either the individual's own or by another of their kind. Like yours, Miroku, their blessing will one day claim their lives." Arae-Yin Nae looks at the monk, seeing despair in his eyes. She gives him a little smile of encouragement. "However, if you find the one that Naraku absorbed, and use your _Wind Tunnel_ on him, your Kazaana should disappear." Miroku perks up at her statement, a smile crossing his handsome features. Arae-Yin Nae quickly goes on, glancing at the girls to see how they will receive her next words. "However...I suggest that Sango and Kagome do not go with you."

"Why?" both girls ask at the same time, turning from the fish they are just finishing to look at the priestess.

Arae-Yin Nae sighs. "The Canthathirls were a dying race when I was alive. They would often attack remote villages--and take young women back to the mountain."

"Why?" Inuyasha asks, getting the feeling that he already knows the answer.

"Because, the Canthathirls are a male-only species. They need human women to reproduce."

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"You're not going," Inuyasha and Miroku both say to their respective fiancees.

"Excuse me?" Sango says, throwing a fish at the monk. He catches it and starts eating. The slayer glares at him. "And just why do you think that I wouldn't go?" she asks.

"Because there is no way you two are going anywhere near a species that needs human females to reproduce--especially one that has been dying off for the last...?" Inuyasha says in answer to Sango's question. He looks over to Arae-Yin Nae for an answer to his own.

"I would say about 300 years. I do not know what year this is, as time generally flies slower when you're dead," Arae-Yin Nae says blandly.

"What year did you die?" Kagome asks, ignoring the miko's comment and trying her best not to glare at the half-demon. The priestess tells her and the young miko does some quick counting on her fingers. "She's right-it's been just over 300 years. Would the Canthathirls still be around now? Except for the one Naraku had?" she asks.

Arae-Yin Nae ponders her question for a moment. "That is true. He must have found one of the last of the demons left. Canthathirls can live for many years, but, as I said before, they can only be killed by one of their own vortexes. It is likely that the one Naraku had is the last of his kind."

Kagome smirks at Inuyasha, but he interrupts her before she has a chance to speak. "No."

"But...," she says.

"No. You're not going, Kagome," he says. The miko stands up and hovers over him. She's starting to get angry. Inuyasha stands up in front of the girl, glad of the extra 5 inches of height he has on her.

"You are not gonna keep me from helping Miroku, Inuyasha," she says, pointing a finger in the hanyou's face. "After everything we've been through, do you really think a couple of little "sucky" demons are gonna scare me?"

"I'm not worried about you being scared, Kagome," the half-demon says through clenched teeth. "I'm worried about some almost-extinct demon race, who hasn't had any offspring in years, kidnapping my fiancé and getting her pregnant before I can!" Inuyasha yells, only just realizing what he's blurted out. His cheeks flush, but the hanyou continues to glare at Kagome, who is no longer mad, but in shock. She stares at him, open-mouthed, giving a little squeal as the half-demon yanks her into a hug.

Sango and Miroku watch this exchange, both stunned and amused at what their friend just admitted. "Um...yeah," Miroku says, reaching out and grabbing Sango's arm. She turns to look at him. "What he said," the monk whispers, fear crossing his dark eyes. The tajiya gives him a small smile, nodding her head at him.

Shippo and Kilala sit on the ground, leaning up against their log, watching both sets of adults. "Idiots. I hope I don't act like them when I get older," the fox whispers. The nekomata gives a low mew in return, agreeing with the kitsune. _Although...they are awfully lucky..._ he thinks, grinning as he looks at the two women.

"I would not worry too much about the girls now," Arae-Yin Nae says, getting everyone's attention. "If there is just the one demon, it probably will not be able to withstand the six of you," she remarks. Miroku and Inuyasha give her skeptical looks. "But you do not have to decide that right now. You can discuss it amongst yourselves when you are at Kaede's village, resting."

"Why do we have to rest?" Inuyasha asks. "I'm ready to go right now." Kagome gets his attention before the hanyou can see the looks everyone else is giving him.

"Because you need to let that wrist heal completely if you're dead set against me and Sango coming with you guys. And if you're not, the rest of us were up half the night--worried," she says, looking at the others. "Right?"

"Yep," Shippo says, taking the hint. He hops onto the hanyou's shoulder to look Inuyasha in the eyes. "We need to restock on stuff, too. I think Kagome's out of most things--even bandages and stuff?" he asks, looking down at the miko. She grins at him.

"Yeah. Inuyasha used up most of the rest of those," she replies, as the half-demon glares at her.

"Fine. We'll go rest at Kaede's," he growls, sitting back down. Kagome gives Sango and Miroku a relieved look before sitting next to him. "How far is it?" Inuyasha asks, reaching for two fish and handing one to Shippo. The kitsune looks surprised but takes the morsel the hanyou is offering.

"About a day, I think," Miroku says. He looks up at the sun, thinking. "We could probably even be there by nightfall tonight, if we leave soon," he guesses.

"Okay. Then we'll leave after we finish eating," Sango replies, taking two fish and tossing one to Kilala, who mews a thanks at the slayer. "Unless...you need to tell us anything else, priestess?" she asks, looking at Arae-Yin Nae.

The miko puts her hand up to her chin and recalls everything she has told the group sitting before her, eating their breakfast. "No...I believe that's everything. Only...do not delay too long when you go to find the Canthathirl. It is likely very old, and may be taken by it's own vortex soon," she warns Miroku. He nods at her, his face serious. "The lair will be located about midway up the mountain--where the trees stop growing. It will be a simple cave, possibly surrounded by many...holes." The group stares at her. "From their attempts to get food. Everything in the immediate vicinity is taken in--not only their prey--as I'm sure the monk knows." Miroku nods again, a pained expression on his face. "And, Kagome...," the young miko looks up at her. "...remember what I told you before...," the priestess says vaguely, giving the girl a knowing look. Kagome nods--she knows what Arae-Yin Nae is talking about. "I believe that is all...," the priestess sighs, bowing her head.

Kagome watches the priestess. She has an idea of why Arae-Yin Nae seems so sad. "We'll come back," she says softly. The elder miko looks up. "We have to build you a new altar," Kagome says, a smile on her face. "That ought to take a couple of days, at least."

"Yes," Miroku says. "It's the least we can do--after everything you've done for us," he offers, smiling as well.

Arae-Yin Nae looks at them hopefully before her face falls. "But...the cave..."

"How about out here?" Shippo asks, waving one small arm around. "You have a view of the lake, and the mountain over there, and it's still close to the cave...," he says, looking at the priestess.

Arae-Yin Nae galnces around her for a minute before she breaks into a wide grin. "Yes. I think this will be quite lovely," she says, a far-off look in her crystal eyes. "You will return?" she asks, as the group gets ready to leave.

"Yes, Arae-Yin Nae," Sango says, bowing again to the priestess. The others do the same. "You're our friend now. We'll always come back," she says softly, as the six travelers head away from the priestess, the girls and Shippo waving as they go.

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"I feel so, bad, though--having to leave her all alone," Kagome says, on the verge of tears.

"I know, but we'll go back and build a new altar for her, and then hopefully people will come to offer their respects," Miroku says, hitting a rock up the path with his staff. They had been walking in silence for awhile now, each lost in their own thoughts. Something the priestess had said suddenly comes back to the monk. "Hey, Kagome. What was Arae-Yin Nae talking about? I mean, what were you supposed to remember?" he asks, when the miko gives him a confused look.

Kagome glances ahead of herself, Sango, Kilala, and Miroku before responding--where Shippo and Inuyasha are playing a game. Well, actually, Shippo seems to have taken whatever the hanyou was hiding from them before, and is now tormenting the half-demon--keeping the item away from him. Inuyasha is getting mad, his face turning a bright shade of red. Kagome narrows her eyes at him, as the hanyou...

_Throws a temper tantrum?! What?!_ Kagome can't believe what she's seeing. Instead of chasing after the kitsune and hitting him on the head like normal, Inuyasha is stomping his feet and yelling at the top of his voice.

"Give it back, Shippo! I'm gonna tell on you!" he yells, getting startled glances from everyone. What he does next makes them openly stare. The half-demon yanks Tetsusaiga from it's sheath and throws the sword towards Shippo, who had run back to Kagome and the others. The weapon lands in the dust, still in it's rusty form. Kagome frowns as she glances back up at Inuyasha. "You can have that! Just give it back!" he yells, throwing himself down in the dirt and banging his fists and feet on the ground, screaming at the top of his lungs.

Kagome walks forward and picks up Tetsusaiga, as everyone else gawks at the hanyou. "_See_?" she asks, hurrying toward Inuyasha. She stops abruptly as he lifts himself into a kneeling position--seemingly tired of his tantrum. Kagome's heart stops.

Inuyasha's eyes are flashing from amber to red and back, while the purple streaks that appear when he's a full youkai are also flashing on and off of his cheeks. His claws are extended, and Kagome hears a low growl coming from his direction. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Kagome sprints the last few yards to the half-demon and shoves Inuyasha's sword into his hands, praying that Tetsusaiga will keep him from turning completely. "Stay back!" she yells as the others try to approach.

After what seems like an eternity, Inuyasha slumps against the miko, breathing heavily. "What...what happened?" he asks, vaguely aware of the rest of their group behind Kagome.

The girl takes a moment to get her bearings before answering him. "I..I think something's wrong...with your head, Inuyasha," she says quietly, moving his hair aside to look at his neck. It's still badly bruised and doesn't show any sign of having healed. Kagome is sure that the bumps on his head are the same. The hanyou scoffs and tries to pull away, but Kagome tightens her grip on his neck and Inuyasha stops moving. "Listen, Inuyasha. You were in a cave-in and were buried to your waist under a lot of rock. And you had just turned human. You're ability to heal was gone and you were severely injured. After you woke up, you started acting strange, and you weren't even aware of half of it. I tried to tell myself that you would be ok, but the injury to your neck isn't healing, and you still have that headache--right?" she asks. The half-demon hesistates a moment before nodding slightly. Kagome sighs. "I thought that maybe Kaede could do something for you, but just now you almost turned into a full demon." Inuyasha tenses, his fingers tightening on Kagome's legs. The miko takes a deep breath. "That's why--when we get back to the village--I think I should take you to my time...," she says, pushing Inuyasha away from her. He stares at her a moment, his eyes narrowed. Glancing above her head, he sees Miroku and Sango, worry on their faces.

"You can have it back, Inuyasha," Shippo says, tears in his eyes as he holds out his hand to the hanyou, a small black seashell in his palm. Inuyasha looks back at Kagome, staring into her brown eyes. The half-demon nods once and looks away, standing and resheathing his sword. He doesn't say a word.

Kagome swallows and stands, and the group heads on their way, Inuyasha walking a little ways ahead of the rest of them.

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"I used my powers, Miroku," Kagome says quietly, after they had been walking about an hour. Miroku raises his brows at her. "Arae-Yin Nae...," the miko breaks off as she glances at Inuyasha, who is still walking in front of them. He's stopped moving and is clenching his fists. As Kagome watches, she sees the hanyou open his fingers wide, before they start to tremble. He clenches his fists again. The girl's heart rate picks up as he begins to move again. Something has just been triggered in her memory...

"She merged with me...to save Inuyasha when he fell...," Kagome says, stooping to pick up a large branch. She ignores the stares she's getting from Sango, Miroku, and Shippo, focusing on the hanyou walking before her. "Inuyasha climbed into the opening to check out the hole in the roof of the cave, and fainted while he was at the top. He fell...and the only reason he didn't hit the bottom was because Arae-Yin Nae merged with me and used my powers to stop him," she finishes, still watching Inuyasha. He's stopped again, and has his nose in the air, smelling for something. _No..._

"Sango!" Kagome yells, taking off at a dead run toward the hanyou, who has just tensed up and fallen forward onto his face. Stripping off her pack, quiver, and bow, the miko kneels next to Inuyasha, putting her arms underneath his chest to flip him over. His eyes are wide and his teeth are clenched together tightly. "Open your mouth, Inuyasha," Kagome says, her voice deadly. His eyes get wider. "OPEN YOUR MOUTH!" she screams, placing her hands on the side of his head and pressing against his jawline. Inuyasha closes his eyes.

The half-demon's mouth slowly comes open, and Kagome nods at the branch she had picked up earlier, which Sango promptly shoves crossways in his mouth. "Can your Hiraitkotsu stand up to his claws?" she asks the slayer, adjusting her position and placing Inuyasha's head in between her knees, holding his shoulders as she kneels on the ground. Sango nods, fear flashing through her brown eyes.

"Then put it across his stomach and make sure you and Miroku keep his fingers wrapped around the edge of it," Kagome orders, as Miroku helps the slayer position her weapon, just as the half-demon starts to clench his fists. "Kilala, transform and hold down his legs. Shippo, stay back," the miko says, as Inuyasha starts to convulse. _Please don't let this seizure last long..._ Kagome prays as Inuyasha arches his back, his muscles tensing and his eyes rolling up in his head. Kagome can hear the branch cracking underneath the pressure from his teeth. Glancing at the Hiraitkotsu, she can see claw marks appearing under his nails.

"I didn't realize he was this strong...," Miroku says as he struggles to hold the hanyou's claws around Sango's weapon.

"Me...either," Sango pants, also struggling. They hear a growl from Kilala, just before she's thrown backward, rolling across the dirt and transforming back into her smaller form.

_Shit..._ Kagome thinks, as first Sango, then Miroku go flying backwards...

A horrendous screaming fills the miko ears as she sees Inuyasha throw the boomerang down the path, the weapon flying past Kilala...

Kagome tries to hang onto the hanyou, but his thrashing quickly throws her backwards, sending her rolling up the path, away from Inuyasha...

* * *

How was that guys? Good cliffie--I hope? For any medically-inclined people, Kagome knows that you're not supposed to go near anyone who's having a seizure, as they're more likely to hurt you than themselves. But, b/c Inu is so strong, she's taking that chance since he's likely to hurt himself--badly. Make sense? 


	10. Help From an Unlikely Source

Hey everybody. I am sooo sorry that it took so long for me to get this chap up. It's b/c HP7 comes out next wknd and I'm trying to jog my memory on what happens before I read that one, so I've been rereading 5 and 6. But, I'm gonna start working on ch 11 after I post this one, so it should be up late tonight or maybe tomorrow b/c I feel really bad that's it's been 2 wks since I last posted to Kiss. Um...Disclaimer: Inu isn't mine... Uh...everyone might be confused when they start reading, but don't worry--it'll make sense eventually. Well, Dozo!

* * *

"Slow down, Koga! "What're you taking off for?! We just stopped to rest 5 minutes ago!" Ginta yells, as he and Hakkaku race after the wolf-demon.

"The mutt was just here--I'd know his disgusting scent anywhere! I'm gonna see Kagome!" the young okami yells, sprinting even farther ahead of the two demons.

Hakkaku rolls his eyes before turning to Ginta. "You'd think he would have given up on Kagome by now. It's obvious to everyone that she only likes Koga as a friend."

"Yeah, but you know Koga. Once he makes up his mind about something...," Ginta says. "...it'll take a lot to convince him otherwise."

"Like someone else we're about to see," Hakkaku replies, as they huff and puff along the path after their leader.

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Inuyasha is smiling to himself. After Kagome had gotten rid of his fleas, they had spent a memorable, and--for the most part--pleasant, afternoon together, just the two of them. Apparently Miroku and Sango had decided they needed to spend some time alone--after everything that had happened the week before that day by the river. They had managed to amuse themselves for a few hours, and kept Shippo away, too. Inuyasha was grateful to them. He and Kagome had had very little time to talk about their relationship between the day he had kissed Kagome for the 2nd time...

_... and 3rd...and 4th..._ the hanyou says to himself, grinning widely. Kagome, who had apparently been watching him out of the corner of her eye, turns to face the half-demon.

"What?" she asks, narrowing her eyes, but with a playful expression on her face.

"Nothing. Just...remembering that day," he says, leaning down to place a quick kiss on the girl.

Kagome smiles as he pulls away. "You mean, the one where you were kneeling in front of me? or the one where I tickled you into submission?" she whispers, as Inuyasha glares at her, a small growl escaping his throat. Kagome laughs, causing Miroku and Sango--who are walking on the path in front of them--to turn around, staring at her in confusion. Kilala and Shippo are playing tag even farther ahead and don't hear.

"What?" Sango asks, as she and Miroku stop walking.

"Nothing," Inuyasha says quickly, crossing his arms over his chest as he and Kagome pass the other two. Miroku and Sango look at Kagome, who shrugs and continues to smile as she passes. The demon slayer and the monk exchange bewildered expressions before walking again.

Inuyasha taps the fingers of one hand on his opposite forearm, trying to ignore the stifled giggles coming from the miko beside him. Before that day beside the river, he wouldn't have tolerated anyone laughing at him, even Kagome--though he knew she never meant any harm by it. The few days between their second kiss and the final battle with Naraku had not been enough time to figure out what their relationship was or where it was headed. But when Kagome had been knocked unconscious and hadn't woken up for almost a week, Inuyasha had finally realized how much she meant to him. How much he _needed_ her. How much he _loved_ her--though it would be a long time before he'd admit it.

The two of them had been able to talk things over and had fun that afternoon ..._ if you could call her tickling me until I'm curled on the ground begging her to stop _**_fun_**..., the half-demon thinks, glaring at the girl. Kagome's watching Shippo and Kilala play and doesn't notice his look. He rolls his eyes. _Stupid girl...you're supposed to look at me when I'm glaring at you..._

Inuyasha walks in silence for a moment before he sighs, drawing Kagome's attention. "What?" she asks, looking up at him with concern in her dark eyes.

The hanyou stares at the two demons playing ahead of them before he responds. "Nothing... really. I just wish I could've gone home with you that night," he whispers, still not looking at her.

Kagome doesn't say anything. She knows he's talking about the evening after the two of them had decided to date, or court, or...whatever. Kagome had spent a good hour trying to explain what dating was--that it was essentially the same as courting, except that dating didn't always lead to marriage. Inuyasha had been upset when she told him this. Slightly confused because Inuyasha had been panicked when she asked if they were courting--because that usually _did_ lead to marriage--Kagome had hurredly told him that you go out with a person to see if you might want to marry them, but there were no expectations--usually--that came with dating someone; you could always stop seeing them if you wanted. He finally seemed to understand this, and they had agreed that was what they were doing. Although--to Kagome at least--it always felt as if this was going to be much more...

The girl takes a deep breath, putting her arm through his and leaning against the tall hanyou. "I know...but I wasn't sure if mom had gotten rid of all of the fleas and I didn't want you to get them again. And I needed to get your clothes washed or that powder might have damaged them. It's only supposed to set for few hours--I was cutting it close as it was," she whispers.

"Yeah, but I still missed you," he says smiling at the top of her head. Kagome looks up at him and he kisses her quickly, not wishing to attract Miroku and Sango's attention. He glances back at them, but they seemed to be absorbed in a conversation about Kohaku. He kisses her again, longer this time.

"You're gonna have to get used to people seeing you do that," Kagome says with a mischeivous grin when he pulls away. "We've been going out for a month now."

Inuyasha narrows his eyes at her. "Did you tell your mom?" he asks, trying to distract the girl.

Kagome rolls her eyes. She knows what he's trying to do. "I already told you, I told Gramps and Sota and told them to tell mom because she was visiting a sick friend and I didn't see her. You weren't paying attention the first time, just like you aren't now," she says, putting her hands on her hips as Inuyasha stops walking and stands up straight, looking past Miroku and Sango, who are now arguing.

Anger, then annoyance crosses the hanyou's face. Kagome frowns. "What..." she starts to ask, but something slams into Inuyasha and sends him flying, smashing into the ground and barely missing Kilala and Shippo as they dodge out of the way. "Inuyasha!" she yells, taking a step toward him before she feels someone holding her hands.

"Yo, Kagome! It's been too long!" Koga says, lifting one of her hands to kiss the back.

"Hey...Koga. Uh, how've you been?" the miko asks while trying to withdraw her fingers from his grip. The demon's got a firm hold on them and is gazing at her--a goofy grin on his face.

Kagome gives him a nervous smile, glancing at Miroku and Sango, who are staring at her with wide eyes. She can almost read the question that's running through their minds. She turns back to Koga and opens her mouth, but hears Inuyasha yell instead. They both look at him.

"Get away from her, you mangy wolf!" the hanyou says, stomping back toward them. Koga smirks and drops her hands, turning toward the half-demon, prepared for a scuffle. He flexes his claws. Kagome looks at Inuyasha, who is doing the same.

"Koga...I need to tell you something...," Kagome begins, but the wolf interrupts her.

"This'll just take minute, Kagome. The mutt and I have something to settle now that's Naraku's gone," Koga says, his eyes narrowed at Inuyasha.

"That's right...," the half-demon replies, but he never reaches the okami. At the last second, Inuyasha turns away from the wolf, pulls Kagome into his arms, and kisses her deeply.

Everyone stares--including Hakkaku and Ginta, who had just arrived. Shippo starts to giggle, while Sango and Miroku grin widely, shaking their heads. Koga gapes, his eyes wide in shock. He finally finds his voice as the two of them break apart, Kagome smiling and Inuyasha smirking as he turns toward the demon.

"Well, all you had to do was tell me!" he yells, crossing his arms and huffing loudly.

Everyone groans and rolls their eyes at him--Inuyasha even smacks himself in the head. Kagome, however, smiles at him, though her arms are wrapped around Inuyasha's torso and half her face is buried in his haori. "You're right, Koga. We should have said something. I'm sorry," she says seriously.

The demon turns to look at her, a slight sadness flickering in his eyes. He sighs before looking at the hanyou. "You'd just better take care of her," he growls, pointing at Kagome as if Inuyasha didn't know who he was referring to.

Surprisingly, the half-demon simply nods instead of offering the okami a smart reply, tightening his arms around the girl. Koga stares at him a moment, then looks at Kagome, then back at the hanyou. He opens his mouth, but Inuyasha rolls his eyes and releases his grip on Kagome, turning her to face the demon. Koga pulls her into a hug.

"Well, thanks for asking me," she mumbles into the wolf's chest, earning small grins from the two boys. Kagome puts her arms around him and Koga holds her close before pushing her away and kissing her forehead. She smiles up at him. "You too, Kagome. Take care of the mutt--he's always getting into trouble," Koga says, releasing the girl and stepping back a little.

Kagome nods her head, tears forming in her eyes. "I..."

"You guys take care," he says, interrupting Kagome's attempt to apologize again. He walks back to Hakkaku and Ginta, who have been gasping until now--trying to catch their breath. "Let's go," he says, taking off back down the way they'd come. The other two demons exchange exasperated glances as they start running after him, struggling to catch up.

"Well, that went rather well," Kagome says, hugging Inuyasha as they watch the three demons disappear around a small hill. Inuyasha doesn't say anything, but she feels a deep rumbling in his chest.

"So are you over your shyness now, Inuyasha?" Miroku asks. He and the others are all smirking at the hanyou. Kagome looks up at the half-demon's face, which is slowly turning red.

"I'm working on it," he answers, bending his head to kiss Kagome again.

------------------------------------------END---------FLASHBACK--------------------------------------------------

"Hmmmmm. The mutt's been this way," Koga growls, sniffing the air. He frowns.

"We just saw them a few weeks ago, Koga," Ginta says, looking at the collapsed cave beside the clearing they're walking through. He shivers. _I hope nobody was in there..._

"Do you want to see Kagome again?" Hakkaku asks warily.

Koga hadn't mentioned Inuyasha or Kagome since their last encounter with them, and the two wolf-demons were not about to bring it up. They didn't know how their leader would react. He'd taken the news that Kagome and Inuyasha were together fairly well, but had been unusually quiet since then. They knew he wanted what was best for Kagome--even if she did want the half-demon. Koga just wanted her to be happy. But he didn't look happy now; he looked...worried. The three demons walk around the edge of the mountain with the collapsed cave, stopping to stare at a beautiful lake surrounded by a black beach. Koga growls as they start to walk around it, his frown getting deeper as they pass some fallen logs and the remains of a fire.

"We need to catch up to them," he mumbles suddenly, slowly increasing his speed until he's running. Hakkaku and Ginta are able to keep up with him--the demon is not using his normal lightening-fast speed.

"Why aren't you taking off, Koga?" Ginta asks, coming alongside him. Hakkaku pulls up on his other side.

"Because...something's wrong with the mutt...," he says, sticking his nose in the air to determine which way to go.

"What?" asks Hakkaku, frowning slightly. _If Koga's worried, something must really be wrong..._

"I...I don't know...but I'm gonna need you two...I think...," Koga mumbles. "We just...need to get to Inuyasha...fast."

Ginta and Hakkaku exchange surprised looks behind their leader's back as they run. Koga rarely said Inuyasha's name. This must be serious. The two wolf-demons speed up, passing Koga before he realizes what they're doing. He narrows his eyes at them, smirking at their backs before putting on a burst of speed and leaving them running through dust. He stops at the next hill to wait for them.

"Hurry up you guys," he growls, as Ginta and Hakkaku emerge from the cloud, coughing and wiping their eyes. Koga turns around, worry flashing through his blue eyes as he stares across the valley lying before him.

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"I've got you, Sango!" Shippo yells, transforming and catching the tajiya as she flies towards him. The slayer looks up as she lands against the fox, her eyes widening as Miroku flies in the opposite direction, heading for a large tree. Before he hits it, however, a brownish blur flies in between them, another sliding to a stop behind the monk, catching him before both tumble to the ground.

Sango gasps. "Gi...Ginta?" She hears an 'oomph' and a gasp from her right and turns her head, where Hakkaku has caught Kagome.

The miko stares shakily up at him before mumbling an awkward 'thanks' and getting to her feet. She stumbles back toward Inuyasha, glancing over the thrashing, screaming half-demon to see Koga running back with Sango's Hiraikotsu. _Koga??_

She stares with wide eyes as Koga dodges Inuyasha's flailing limbs and replaces the weapon on his stomach. Hakkaku and Ginta run up to the hanyou and somehow manage to grab the his arms, forcing his clenched hands apart and back onto the boomerang. Kagome can see lines of blood appear on their hands where Inuyasha's claws grazed them. Koga sits on Inuyasha's feet and wraps his arms around his knees, holding his legs together and keeping the weapon steady. Kagome stares at the scene before her for a second before kneeling by the half-demon's head and shoulders again, thinking that this situation might be funny if she wasn't scared to death.

_They must have seen us a few moments ago...that's how they knew what to do..._ she thinks, before frowning. Inuyasha is still screaming. _As far as I know...seizures aren't supposed to be that painful...what's wrong?_ Kagome asks herself while glancing over him. She notices his broken wrist, which is gripping the Hiraikotsu at a strange angle while blood soaks through the bandage wrapped around it.

"Ginta! Grab his wrist!" Kagome yells, somehow managing to make the okami hear her over Inuyasha's ranting. The wolf's eyes flicker to the joint, and he immediately repositions the hanyou's hand, wrapping his own around the injury. Inuyasha's yelling drops to a whine, which instantly stops--as if he's choking. The miko frowns again as beads of sweat trickle down the sides of her face. _Now what?_ She wonders, looking back at Inuyasha's face. His lips are changing from a pale pink to a bluish-white color. Feeling a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach, the miko glances quickly at his nails, which are also turning blue. She can't help it--she lets out a cry of despair. The wolves glance at her, wondering why she would cry now.

They stare with wide eyes as she screams in Inuyasha's ears.

"I know you can hear me, Inuyasha! You have to breathe! Don't fight the seizure just breathe--please?!" she pleads, as each of the okami's faces pale. She watches his chest for a few seconds, but doesn't see it moving. Panic is starting to grip the girl as his lips and nails turn a light purple color and his face starts to pale. _What do I do? What do I do? What..._

Getting desperate, Kagome removes one of her arms and balls her hand into a fist. She raises it above her head and slams it into Inuyasha's chest, just below his ribcage, shouting, "BREATHE!"as she hits him.

Inuyasha's eyes fly open as he involutarily jerks his head up and takes a breathe--the branch that had been in his mouth falling out onto his chest. Ignoring it, Kagome watches in relief as color immediately coming back to his face. His head drops back onto Kagome's knees, his teeth clenched together and his eyes wide as he stares at her face. Tears are starting to fill the miko's eyes.

Kagome wraps one arm around his head and places the other across his his collarbone, holding his shoulders down as best as she can. She's losing energy rapidly. _I...can't do this much longer... _

Dropping her head so that their cheeks are touching, Kagome's whispers to the hanyou. "Breathe, Inuyasha. In..." She feels a muscle twitch in his jaw as he slowly, slowly takes a breathe. Kagome closes her eyes. "...out..." The hanyou lets out the air in his lungs.

The girl continues to talk to him as the seizure finally ..._finally... _comes to an end. Inuyasha's body slowly relaxes, his arms dropping to his sides and his legs relaxing under Koga's grip. The wolves warily release their hold on the half-demon, afraid that he'll start convulsing again. The miko can hear him slowly inhaling and exhaling, his mouth open slightly now that his teeth aren't grinding together. His eyes are closed again.

Kagome starts to sob quietly into Inuyasha's shoulder.

* * *

???????? Uh...I forgot what I was going to put down here...Apparently it's not that important... Hrmmm... 


	11. To the Future

Hello all. Here is chap 11. I'll try to do another update soon, cause I think you're gonna want to kill me when you get to the end. Alright, dozo! Disclaimer: Inu isn't mine. (sigh)

* * *

Grinding her teeth together to keep from crying anymore, Kagome raises her head and looks around. Koga, Hakkaku, and Ginta are sitting on the ground on each side of Inuyasha, sweating and breathing heavily. Miroku is standing several feet behind Hakkaku, worry flashing across his features. He's holding Kilala, who--thankfully--seems to have recovered from her tumble. Sango is sitting on the ground beside him, holding a crying Shippo in her arms--close to tears herself. Kagome can still feel wetness on her own cheeks. _We don't have time for this..._

"Kilala? Can you fly?" Kagome asks the nekomata, who instantly jumps down from Miroku's arms and transforms into her bigger form, growling softly.

Kagome unwraps her arms from Inuyasha, who opens his eyes and gazes at her listlessly. She kisses his forehead. "Can you guys get him on Kilala?" she asks the demons sitting before her. All three nod and stand up--shaking slightly from their exertions. They awkwardly pick Inuyasha up--as the half-demon has no strength left to stand--and set him on the demon-cat's back, facing her head. He's closed his eyes again.

Kagome slowly stands, almost falling over before Miroku grabs her arm. "Thanks," she whispers, leaning over to grab her backpack, leaving her bow and quiver for the others to take to Kaede's. "Tell Kaede what's happened and where we've gone. I'll be back as soon as I can," she says, hopping onto Kilala behind Inuyasha. She turns to look at the wolf-demons. "Thank you, guys," she says softly, tears in her eyes again.

Hakkaku and Ginta nod, while Koga steps over and takes one of her hands. "You better get him fixed up. He said he'd take care of you," he growls, shifting his gaze to Inuyasha. The hanyou opens his eyes and stares at Koga for a second before closing them again.

Kagome nods and squeezes his hand before turning to Kilala. "Let's go, Kilala. To the Bone-Eater's Well--as fast as you can," she says as the nekomata takes off. The others watch them until they vanish in the distance.

"What happened?" Koga whispers, as he picks up Sango's Hiraikotsu and Kagome's bow and quiver before handing the former back to the slayer. She stares at the long gouges in her weapon before sighing. Shippo is sitting on her shoulder, sobbing into her hair.

"We'll tell you on the way to Kaede's. Come on," she says softly, her voice strained. Koga nods and follows her up the path. He glances at the branch lying on the ground as he passes--noting that it's mere centimeters away from being broken in two.

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Kilala, Kagome, and Inuyasha are flying through the evening sky, the setting sun illuminating the mountains and farmland around them in a reddish-gold light. Kagome has pulled Inuyasha back against her, her arms wrapped around his neck.

She had forgotten about Inuyasha's wrist until she had seen blood start to stain his sleeve. Pulling his arm up, Kagome had ripped off the sleeves to her blouse and wrapped his injury the best she could, considering their awkward position and the fact that she couldn't get to anything in her backpack. He had tried--and failed--to stifle a whimper as she did this, and she couldn't blame him: the previous bandages were soaked through with blood because the bones in the joint were showing through. Kagome had had to clamp her jaw shut to keep from gagging. He had been pale afterward, and Kagome had kissed the spot on his neck that she knew he liked, to make him feel better. He hadn't made a sound since, even though his skin was still too light for her liking.

Kagome gazes into the the distance--she can see Kaede's village at the far reaches of her vision. _Not long now...maybe 5 minutes..._ She starts as Inuyasha tries to say something.

"What did you say, Inuyasha?" she asks, bending her head so she can hear him.

"I...said...this...sucks...Kagome," he mumbles. Kagome smiles and kisses his cheek softly, tears filling her eyes. "Remind...me...to...kick...Koga's...ass ...for... sitting...on...me," he says, making the miko laugh out loud.

"Sure," she whispers as Kilala banks to their right. Kagome can see the Goshinboku ahead of them.

"How...out...of...the...well?" Inuyasha asks as the nekomata starts to descend.

"I'll figure that out when we get to the other side," Kagome says.

Less than a minute later Kilala is hovering over the well, looking back at her passengers. "Thanks, Kilala," Kagome says, reaching over the half-demon to pat her neck. Kilala growls softly then whines as she looks at Inuyasha. "I know--I'm gonna take care of him," Kagome says, shifting the hanyou so that they'll fall into the opening below them. "Go back to Kaede's. The others should be there soon." The demon nods as Kagome and Inuyasha slip off her back and fall into the well, traveling forward in time.

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"Oomph! You're still heavy, Inuyasha," Kagome mumbles as the half-demon lands on top of her.

"Still?" he mumbles, his face buried in the girl's stomach.

"Yeah. I had to move you in the cave--when you were unconscious," she replies, rolling him off her and sitting up. She watches his heavy breathing for a moment before standing. Inuyasha stares at her, his earlier question flickering across his eyes. "But I didn't have to go up," she says quietly, gazing at the roof of the well-house. The miko frowns, looking back at Inuyasha lying on the dirt floor. "I have an idea...," Kagome whispers, heading up the ladder on the side of the well.

"Giving...up...already?" Inuyasha asks as he watches her climb out. Kagome sticks her head back over the edge and looks down at him.

"N...no...," she says, sticking her hands down into the well.

"Kagome...," Inuyasha warns. He has an idea of what she's about to do.

"Well, do you know of any other way out of there?" she says, staring down at him. Inuyasha slowly shakes his head from one side the other, then closes his eyes. "Ok, then...what were those words again?" She thinks a moment. _Seifuku un Kaze..._

The miko gasps as she feels her hands warm up, a light blue glow coming from her fingers. Staring at Inuyasha, she concentrates on what she wants to do: lift him out of the well. A few seconds later she sees his body surrounded by light, then it slowly lifts off the floor.

Keeping her eyes on Inuyasha, Kagome narrows them in concentration. The half-demon's head, then torso, clears the top of the well. When his feet come out of the well, the miko hears someone yell her name, then his. "Kagome! Inuyasha!"

Losing her focus, Inuyasha stops glowing and drops back into the well with a slight yelp. Kagome leans over the edge and reaches her hands out to him, stopping his descent inches from the bottom. He raises his eyes to her. The miko sees a flash of fear in them before he speaks. "That's...much...better... when ...you're... unconscious," he says. Kagome smiles a little at him as her brother joins her by the side of the well.

"What's going...," Sota tries to ask. Kagome interrupts him.

"Get mom and gramps. I'll explain when he's out of the well," she grunts, struggling to maintain her hold on the hanyou and talk at the same time.

Sota nods and quickly runs off. Keeping eye contact with Inuyasha, Kagome slowly lifts him back up the inside of the well, over the edge, and sets him gently on the floor against one side. She closes her fists and Inuyasha stops glowing, then plops down beside him, leaning her head against the well. "That's...very...hard...," she whispers, trying to catch her breath. Inuyasha's eyes are wide.

"Please...don't...do...that...again...," he says, turning his head slightly to look at her. She turns her head and and gives him a small smile before leaning forward to kiss him, leaving their foreheads touching when she breaks the kiss. They stay that way for a few minutes--until Sota comes running back into the well with Kagome's mom and grandfather in tow.

"Inuyasha--what? What's happened to your clothes, Kagome? Wh...," Kagome's mom asks, but her daughter cuts across her.

"Inuyasha's hurt, mom. There was a cave-in and Inuyasha was human, and he didn't heal even after he changed back into a half-demon. We need to get him to a hospital," Kagome says, standing up and hovering over Inuyasha. "Can you stand at all?" she asks him. Inuyasha slowly shakes his head back and forth.

"How did you get him out of the well?" her grandfather asks, staring at the filthy, bandaged, panting demon lying in front of them, then at his dirty, fatigued grandaughter standing beside the boy.

"I...uh...used my powers," Kagome says, blushing a little as her family gawks at her. "I'll explain later, but right now we need to get him out of here and to a hospital. He's already had a...seizure," she says, her voice cracking on the last word. Her mom, Sota, and Gramps continue to stare. "That's why he can't move. Inuyasha's exhausted." Kagome stares at them a moment before her mother speaks.

"You look tired too, honey," she whispers, walking down the last few steps and standing on one side of Inuyasha. Kagome shrugs as her mom bends down and grabs his arm, motioning for her daughter to take the other. Kagome takes off her pack and hands it to Sota before bending down and taking the half-demon's other arm. Together with Kagome's grandfather, the two women somehow manage to get Inuyasha onto their backs as they stand side-by-side, his arms draping their shoulders, his head hanging between theirs. Inuyasha's breath is coming in gasps.

"Dad, go call that friend of yours--the one who still believes the stories your grandfather told about demons and such. See if his son will...believe us," Kagome's mom says and she and her daughter navigate the stairs out of the well-house.

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"Why couldn't you use your powers again?" Sota asks, as he helps his mom and sister set Inuyasha in a chair in the kitchen. The half-demon closes his eyes as he leans against the back of the chair.

"I shouldn't have used them to get him out of the well, but I had no choice," Kagome says as she starts to strip Inuyasha of his haori. He opens his eyes when she starts, but closes them again a second later--he's too exhausted to care much about anything right now. "It's a long story, but I don't really know how to control my powers yet, so it was dangerous for me to use them to get him out of the well. But I didn't see any other choice--you saw how hard it was for me and mom to get him in here. We'd never have gotten him out of the well on our own."

"Sota, dear, go get some of those boxers I bought last time Inuyasha was here," Kagome's mom says as she helps her daughter relieve the half-demon of his hakamas. Sota runs out of the room, dropping his sister's backpack on the floor, while Kagome takes Tetsusaiga and sets it on the table beside the hanyou, placing his left hand on top of the sword. He tightens his hand around it.

"Why...are...you..." Inuyasha mumbles as a blush starts to creep up his cheeks. His eyes are still closed.

"Well, you're filthy for one thing," Kagome says, anticipating his question. She looks down at her own clothes. _I'll have to change, too..._ "And the hospital may not be very nice to your robes. It's better if we leave them here." She and her mom exchange a nervous glance as they stare at the boy sitting before them. "Is Gramps still on the phone?"

"I'll go check," her mom says, striding quickly out of the room. Kagome stares after her as Sota comes running back in, holding a pair of bright red boxers.

_I can't believe she just did that!_ Kagome thinks, turning back to the half-demon, who is now staring at her, a pleading look in his eyes. She sighs. "Sorry, Inuyasha--your kosode, too." He groans before closing his eyes again, his face getting redder by the second. "Come here, Sota. Help me."

Her brother stares at her as if she's gone mad. "Help you what?" he asks, taking a few steps toward the door. Kagome reaches out and grabs his arm.

"We don't have time to be embarrassed. Inuyasha needs to get to the hospital. Now, help me," she says, dropping his arm and pulling Inuyasha's out of his kosode, careful not to move his right one much and replacing his left on top of Tetsusaiga. Sota stands there a second before sighing and helping his sister push the garment off the half-demon's chest and down to his hips. The siblings pause at this point, staring at each other, both of their cheeks turning shades of pink. Inuyasha tilts his head back against the chair, moaning in the process.

Kagome takes a deep breathe and clenches her jaw, pushing and pulling the kosode the rest of the way down--Sota helping her get it off Inuyasha's legs. She tries not to stare as her brother grabs the boxers and they put them on the half-demon, Kagome having to lift the boy up so Sota can pull them onto his hips. She hears Inuyasha mumble in her ear. "This...is...so...embarrassing..."

"Why?" she asks, raising one brow at the hanyou as she sets him back down in the chair. His face instantly turns scarlet as he sees her expression. She laughs quietly, kissing him on the nose. He closes his eyes again. Kagome walks over to her bag and rummages around until she finds her hairbrush and some cloths. She hands them to Sota before walking to the door of the kitchen. "Sota. Try to clean Inuyasha up and brush his hair out, but remember that he's injured," she says, pointing at the hanyou's bandaged head. "I'm gonna change and find him something to wear." Sota nods as his sister leaves the room.

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"Akusu and his son--Dr. Urute Morihime, will be here shortly," Kagome's grandfather says as he and her mom come back in the kitchen, stopping abruptly when they see the hanyou wearing just a pair of boxers and an annoyed expression. Sota has cleaned the dust and dirt off the half-demon and brushed out his hair, but is now sitting on the table staring at the older boy with an amused expression.

"Sota, what are you doing?" Kagome's mom asks, finding her voice as she waves her youngest off the table.

Sota is about to reply when he sees his sister come back in the kitchen. "Nothing," he says, giving Kagome a wide grin as he hops off the table. She stares at him for a second before glancing at Inuyasha, who is determinedly looking in the other direction, his cheeks pink. She looks back down at her brother, her eyes narrowed.

"Did Inuyasha tell you something, Sota?" Kagome asks.

"Yes." Sota smiles wider. Kagome's mother and grandfather look back and forth from one sibling to the other.

"What's going on?" her Gramps asks, frowning at the girl. Kagome glares at her brother--who giggles--before walking past her family and setting some clothes on the table, removing a black t-shirt with a large "plus" sign on it: the top of the vertical line looks like an arrow and has a large "N" above it. "I'll tell you later," she mumbles, motioning for her mother to lift Inuyasha's arms so she can slip the shirt over them. The hanyou grunts as his wrist gets bumped. "Sorry...," she whispers, brushing her hand against his cheek as she pulls the shirt down. She stands back. It fits him well.

Kagome herself is wearing a pair of faded blue jeans with embroidered flowers on one of the back pockets. Her white flip-flops match the shirt she's wearing, which has a yellow and orange compass rose on the front. Her hair is in a ponytail.

Kagome grabs the pair of khaki's she's found for Inuyasha and gets them on his legs, then lets her grandfather take over while she and her mother lift the half-demon up. A few awkward minutes later and Inuyasha is dressed, after which Kagome slips a pair of black flip-flops on his feet. She's staring at him trying to figure out where to put Tetsusaiga when the doorbell rings.

"I'll get it!" Sota yells as he runs to the front door. Kagome hurredly grabs the black and white bandana left on the table and wraps it around the hanyou's head, being careful to not press on his neck. She finishes covering Inuyasha's ears as Sota comes back--two men trailing behind the boy. One looks worried, the other curious.

"Is this him?" the younger of the two asks. Kagome takes a quick appraisal of the man as she nods. He looks to be a few years older than her mother, with gray eyes and white hair just beginning to show at his temples. He's not quite as tall as Inuyasha, but is slightly broader in the shoulders. He looks anxious.

"I told you so, Urute," his father says, eyeing Inuyasha's hair and claws with something akin to triumph. Urute looks just like his father, Akusu, except that the older Morihime is stooped a little, like Kagome's own grandfather. His hair is almost completely white and he has a small goatee beneath the mass of wrinkles on his wizened face, which suddenly turns serious. "What do you want us to do, son?"

Urute walks over to Inuyasha and slips one arm under the hanyou, lifting the boy by himself. "Can you walk at all?" the doctor asks, looking sideways at him.

Inuyasha shakes his head. "N...no. Still...too...weak...," he mumbles. Kagome grabs the purse she had brought with her and steps to the half-demon's other side. She looks expectantly at the doctor who nods back toward the front door.

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"It's a good thing I had today off," Urute mumbles as he leads the way down the hospital corridor. Kagome is pushing Inuyasha in a wheelchair, as that is easier than trying to carry the half-demon. Akusu is waiting for her family in the emergency room.

"You had today off?" Kagome asks, following the doctor around a corner. She watches as he waves a badge at the desk they are passing. The three nurses look at them curiously.

"Yes. Normally I do rounds on Saturdays, but we just hired a new surgeon and he's taken today's shift. I just happened to be visiting dad when your grandfather called. I must say, I was rather surprised when he handed me the phone and asked if I remembered him telling me stories of strange creatures that lived long ago." Urute stops abruptly and turns to Inuyasha. "I'm sorry--that was rather tactless of me," he apologizes.

Inuyasha stares at the doctor for a moment before nodding his head. As insults go, that was hardly one at all--not even worth worrying about. The hanyou watches the doctor's back as they turn into a small room containing lots of switches and blinking lights, deciding that Urute is a decent man. _At least he doesn't make judgements based on appearances... _Inuyasha thinks, remembering the car ride. The doctor had addressed Inuyasha politely, speaking to him as Kagome and the others did, and not as if he was worthless or beneath him. Urute had shown surprise when Kagome had removed the bandana, but gave no other indication that he thought Inuyasha was unusual.

Glancing up, the hanyou can see a larger room through some windows in one wall, with a large donut-looking object in the center of that room. He looks at it warily. "What's that?" he whispers to Kagome. She bends down to speak to him while Dr. Morihime talks with the technicians in the room, smiling at the fact the Inuyasha is speaking normally again.

"It's called a, uh...," Kagome closes her eyes, trying to remember. "...uh,...a CAT scanner. Computed Axial Tomography," she says, opening her eyes. Inuyasha looks at her as if she's lost her mind. She smiles. "That shot they gave you downstairs? There's something in it that will make your blood, like, "light up," so that they can see what's going on in you're head," she says, placing one hand on Inuyasha's head and rubbing his ears under the bandana. "That machine...well, it's too complicated to explain, but it's gonna take pictures of your brain," she finishes, pointing at the donut. Inuyasha raises one brow at her--surprised and very confused--but nods his head. Kagome smiles again as Urute comes back to them.

"We should be ready in a few minutes. Uh...," Dr. Morihime brings one hand to the back of his head and scratches it. "Inuyasha...you'll probably have to go right into surgery, depending on what we find. But if I'm right, we don't need to wait any longer. It's been almost 24 hours since the injury--correct?" Kagome nods, still rubbing Inuyasha's ears. "Alright. So, if we find...what I think we'll find, you'll go straight from here up to surgery." Kagome nods, but Inuyasha frowns.

"What's surgery?" he asks, looking from Kagome to Urute. Kagome freezes her hand on Inuyasha's head. She had forgotten to mention what was probably going to happen to him. The doctor looks confused and is about to speak when the girl interrupts him.

"Can you give us a second?" she asks, glancing nervously at Inuyasha. Urute nods, frowning, and turns back to the techs, who are flipping switches and checking things on a clipboard. One tech walks into the room with the donut. Kagome kneels down next to Inuyasha's chair and takes his good hand. She takes a deep breath before speaking.

"Inuyasha. Surgery is...an operation...it's...they're gonna cut... This is not coming out well," Kagome mumbles, rubbing her temples with her other hand. Inuyasha is frowning at her. It sounded to him that Kagome was trying to say that the doctors were gonna cut him open. But that was crazy--wasn't it?

"Kagome? Are they gonna...they're not gonna...like, cut...me open--are they?" he asks, his eyes widening when she nods at him.

"You'll be asleep. They'll give you another shot so that you fall asleep and won't feel anything. Dr. Urute will be doing it, so you'll be fine," she whispers, placing one hand on his cheek. "Only the doctors and nurses are allowed in the room, but me and mom will be waiting when you come out. Maybe Gramps and Sota, depending on how long it takes to find out what's wrong and fix it." Kagome rubs his cheek with her thumb, watching for his reaction.

"And...this will make sure I don't have anymore of those...those...," the hanyou breaks off and shudders, closing his eyes as her remembers the seizure.

"Yes. And they'll fix your wrist, too," she answers, glancing quickly at his right hand, which is still wrapped in the girl's sleeves.

Inuyasha looks into Kagome's dark eyes a moment before nodding. _If Kagome brought me here, she must trust them to help fix whatever's wrong._ "Okay," he says quietly, squeezing the girl's hand.

"Are you ready?" Urute asks, slowly walking back to the couple. Kagome nods and stands, turning to face the doctor.

"One thing, though. Inuyasha's sword needs to stay with him. At all times," Kagome says, noticing the frown on the doctor's face. "If you take that sword away from Inuyasha...," the girl lowers her voice, "...you won't make it to the operating room." Urute raises his eyebrows at her. "I'll explain it all later, doctor, but please believe me. That sword must _not_ leave Inuyasha's side," she says forcefully, pointing at the weapon lying in the hanyou's lap.

Dr. Morihime narrows his eyes at her for a second, noting the seriousness in her voice. He slowly nods. "I'll...figure something out," he mumbles, walking around Inuyasha's chair and grabbing the handles.

"Wait," Kagome says as she leans her head down and puts her forehead on Inuyasha's. "I love you," she whispers, before cupping his face and kissing the hanyou. He smiles as she pulls back.

"I love you, too," he murmurs, before Urute pushes Inuyasha into the room with the donut.

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Kagome is pacing, her arms crossed over her chest. She's mumbling to herself.

"Kagome, you're gonna wear a path in the carpet," her mother says tiredly. She's holding a cup of coffee in one hand, and a book in the other, but she hasn't looked at it for the past hour. She glances at the clock on the wall of the waiting room. _2:45 a.m._ She yawns, still trying to wake herself up. She had gotten a few hours of sleep, at least, whereas Kagome had been up all night. "You need to sleep, dear. Didn't you say you only slept a few hours last night, too?"

"Yeah, mom. But I can't sleep--not until I know something," Kagome says, turning at her mother's chair and walking to the other side of the room. She looks at the clock as she passes it. "They've had Inuyasha for like, 6 hours. What's taking so long?" she asks for the umpteenth time, turning at the vending machines and heading back to her mother. Kagome plops in the chair next to her, refusing the coffee her mother offers.

"They were going to look at his wrist, too--weren't they? And those CAT scans take a little while on their own, don't they?" her mother asks, taking a sip of the coffee. She blinks--it's rather strong.

"Yeah, but Urute pushed Inuyasha to the front of the line, so it shouldn't be taking this long. Maybe it was worse than what he thought," Kagome says, pushing her hands into her eyes, trying to force herself to stay awake. She stifles a yawn, only to succumb to another seconds later. Her mother sets her coffee down and pulls her daughter over to lean on her shoulder. Kagome wraps her arms around her mother and closes her eyes as her mom runs her hands through her hair.

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"Kagome? Wake up, Kagome."

Kagome opens her eyes and looks at her mother. She frowns. Her mother is pale and is biting her lower lip, tears threatening to fill her eyes. Kagome looks away, to the doctor standing in front of her. Urute's pale like her mother, and his eyes are bloodshot and tired. He's shifting his feet and not looking at her. Kagome's heart rate picks up. She starts shaking her head slowly back and forth.

"I...I'm sorry, Kagome. There was too much...he...Inuyasha...didn't...," the doctor tries to say, but Kagome isn't listening. She's put her hands over her ears and is shaking her head back and forth, biting her tongue so hard that she can feel a metallic taste in her mouth.

_Inuyasha is not...he's not...no...no...no...no..no, no, no, no no..._

Kagome falls to the floor, her hands still on her head as she begins sobbing, her mother's voice in her ear as she holds her daughter.

_

* * *

_I think I'm gonna get yelled at... Oh, a compass rose is two four-pointed stars laid on top of one another, so that it looks like it has eight points. It's used in compass design (obviously), and I found a bunch of pix of it when I typed in "compass rose" in the search bar. Apparently I went nautical for this chap... 


	12. Verdict

I'm soooo sorry this took so long to update. I'm really not trying to torture you guys, I just had other fics to do, and I try to update them in order. Well, I'm sure you guys want to get to the story, so dozo! Oh, I'm tired of saying 'Kagome's mom,' so I'm giving her a name. :)

* * *

_No. No, no, no, no, no. Inuyasha's not...he's not..._

"Kagome? Wake up, Kagome," her mother says, shaking the girl.

"No...no. Inuyasha's not...he can't..." the girl mumbles incoherently, pitching her head back and forth in her mother's lap.

"Kagome? Kagome! Wake up!" her mother says loudly. Nozomi shakes her daughter more forcefully, finally resorting to slapping her lightly across the face. Kagome blinks a few times, her eyes focusing on her mother's face hovering above her, a worried expression on the older woman's features. "Kagome, honey--what's wrong?"

The miko stares up her mom, tears falling from her eyes. She sits up and grabs her mother's arm for support as the room shifts around her. Kagome looks at her mom as she gets her bearings. "Wh...where's Inuyasha? He's not...," she asks, pleading with her eyes.

Nozomi frowns. "He's still in surgery. What's wrong, Kagome?" she asks again, as the girl stands and walks erratically out of the doors of the waiting room, heading for the operating rooms. Her mother follows.

"Just a...a...," Kagome replies dismissively, picking up speed as she notices Dr. Morihime coming out the distant doors. She's running full tilt by the time she smashes into him--making him drop something--a panicked look on her face. "Where's Inuyasha?!" she yells, tears flowing freely down her cheeks as she looks up at him, the doctor's coat clenched tightly in her fists. "Where is he?" she sobs, her knees giving out. Urute grabs the girl's arms to keep her from falling to the floor, helping her into a chair behind the nurse's station. The two LPN's on duty look alarmed. Urute waves at them to leave as Nozomi catches up to her daughter.

"What happened?" he asks Nozomi, as Kagome has her head in her hands and is sobbing uncontrollably. Kagome's mom shakes her head, holding up her hands in bewilderment.

"He...where's Inuyasha?" Kagome asks quietly, keeping her head down.

"We...I just finished with him," Urute says quietly, one hand still holding Kagome's arm--just in case. "They're repairing his wrist now. He should be in a recovery room within the hour."

Kagome lets out an audible sigh before looking up at him, tears still streaking her cheeks. "I...had a dream...," she says shakily, leaning back in the chair and closing her eyes. Nozomi and Urute exchange a concerned look as the doctor slowly lets go of the girl's arm.

"You should get some rest, Kagome," he says. "When's the last time you slept?"

The miko's shaking her head before the doctor finishes speaking. "No. I'm not leaving until I see Inuyasha," she says, looking at him determinedly. The doctor sighs.

"He won't be awake for at least another hour after he wakes up. And he'll still be groggy for awhile after that. That's a minimum of 2, probably closer to 3, hours before you can talk with him," Dr. Morihime says gently. Kagome glares at the doctor.

Nozomi looks down at her daughter, noting the strained look on her face, the circles forming under her eyes, her skin stretching across her cheekbones. _Kagome looks like she's aged several years in the past few hours..._ "I'll take her home."

Kagome looks at her mother, her face and mixture of surprise and anger. "I'm not...," she begins.

"Yes, you are," Nozomi says forcefully, reaching out a hand to her daughter. "You can clean up, get something to eat, go tell your friends what's happening...," she says, glancing quickly at the doctor before continuing, "...then come back here. Inuyasha should be awake by then."

The miko stares at her mother--frowning--her jaw clenched tightly. She'd spent most of the past several months in the Feudal Era, but she still knew the look her mother was giving her. Nozomi had made up her mind--there was no arguing with her. Kagome sighs and stands up, taking her mother's hand as the older woman pulls her into a hug.

"He'll be alright now, though--right?" Kagome asks from her mother's shoulder.

Urute nods. "He was lucky. If Inuyasha was..._human_...," he whispers, as a small group of visitors pass by the nurses's desk, "...he probably wouldn't have ever left that cave."

Kagome blanches before nodding, burying her face against her mother as more sobs escape her throat. Nazomi holds her daughter tightly and strokes her hair, whispering things about how _strong_ Inuyasha is, and how much _tougher_ he is than a bunch of rocks. Kagome stifles a laugh and looks back up after a few minutes, watching Dr. Morihime retrieve the bag he had dropped when Kagome ran into him.

"Sorry...about running into you like that," she says, withdrawing from her mother's arms.

"It's ok. I have an idea what your dream was about," he responds, walking back to the women. "When my ojisan got cancer last year, I had a couple of nightmares, too," he says, holding the bag out to Kagome. She frowns.

"What's...?"

"Inuyasha told me to give it to you. He thought Sota might want it or something, since he obviously can't use it anymore... now." The miko and her mother give the doctor confused looks before Kagome opens the bag, both of the women looking inside and gasping, before staring at the doctor in shock. "He took it surprisingly well," Urute says mildly.

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"Do you think Inuyasha's okay?" Shippo asks quietly. He's sitting on Sango's lap beside Kilala, all three of them staring into the fire outside Kaede's hut.

"I don't know, Shippo," the tajiya replies, her eyes unfocused as she watches the flames. Kilala mews up at her, but Sango doesn't respond. She's thinking back on how bad the half-demon had looked before he and Kagome left. _He...was so pale. And... exhausted ...and...quiet..._ That probably bothered her the most. Inuyasha was never quiet.

The six of them had arrived back at Kaede's to find Kilala already there and the old priestess sitting outside waiting for them--a worried look on her face. How she knew that Inuyasha was in trouble was beyond the slayer's understanding. She and Miroku had explained what had happened since the cave-in, while the miko saw to Koga, Hakkaku, and Ginta's injuries. Thankfully, none of them had been too serious. It was now a few hours before dawn, and none of them besides Kaede had gotten any sleep. She had stayed up as long as she could, but had eventually succumbed to sleep about an hour ago, after making Sango promise to wake her if Kagome showed up. The guys were taking it in shifts to watch the well. Koga and Ginta had left a little while ago, and the slayer could see Miroku and Hakkaku approaching the edge of the village--their forms outlined in the light from the sliver of moon in the sky. It was safer in pairs.

Sango glances down at Shippo, who had been working on a drawing for the half-demon using the colored sticks Kagome had given the small fox. "What do you think?" the kitsune asks, holding the colored paper up for her to see. Kagome had given him that, too.

"It's very nice, Shippo," the tajiya says, taking the picture and holding it at an angle to the fire to see better. The drawing showed the half-demon spread-eagle on the ground, Kagome behind him with the word 'SIT' in a bubble above her head. Sango laughs. "Why did you draw that for him, Shippo? Don't you think he'll get mad?" she asks, patting the demon on the head.

Shippo shrugs. "I thought it might make him laugh," he says, taking the drawing back. "I... don't want to make him mad again," he whispers, pulling the small black seashell out of a pocket and holding it in his tiny palm. He fights back several tears, dropping the shell on Sango's lap before hopping down to the log and wiping his sleeve across his face.

Sango picks up the shell and turns it over in her hand before putting it in one of her own pockets. _I'll give it back later--when he's feeling better..._ she thinks, picking the nekomata up and setting her on the log as Miroku and Hakkaku walk into the firelight. The monk drops his staff and walks straight up to the girl, wrapping his arms around her and laying his head on her shoulder. Sango stiffens for a moment, but soon relaxes and puts her arms around him. Hakkaku sits down wearily on a log on the opposite side of the fire. "Nothing?" she asks. The okami shakes his head before laying it on on his bandaged arms, which are resting on his knees.

"He'd laugh because Kagome never does that to him anymore," Shippo says quietly, laying the paper beside him on the log. Sango frowns, trying to understand the kit's logic, but gives up after a minute, deciding she's too tired to think about it. She silently strokes the monk's hair as he continues to hug her. It's a testament to how worried he is that the hoshin hasn't tried to grope her once the entire time he's had his arms around her.

"Sango?"

"Yes, Miroku?"

"Promise not to make me worry like this--ever?"

Sango stops her hand, letting it rest on the back of the monk's head. "What do you mean?" she asks, leaning her head down to whisper in his ear. Miroku lifts his head and stares into her cinnamon-colored eyes, leaning forward to brush his lips lightly against hers. She takes a deep, steadying breath when he pulls away.

"If I'm this worried about Inuyasha, I don't think I'd survive if something ever happened to you," he murmurs, cupping her cheeks in his hands and kissing her again. She smiles and leans against him when they break apart.

"Same for you," she whispers, hugging him tightly. The pair is oblivious to the grins they're receiving. Shippo and Kilala tiptoe over to Hakkaku, who is gazing at the couple with his eyes half-closed.

"That's three," Shippo whispers, holding up the same number of fingers for emphasis.

"What?" Hakkaku asks, looking down at the kitsune in confusion.

"I'm counting how many times he can kiss her without getting slapped," Shippo mouths. "That's three." The okami still looks confused.

"I heard that, Shippo," Sango says, looking over Miroku's shoulder at the now blushing fox. Miroku turns his head, a slight smirk on his face. He opens his mouth to say something but glances past the demons instead, his eyes bugging out.

"Guys," he whispers, nodding his head toward the well. Everyone looks in that direction. Three silhouettes are walking towards the village; the one in the middle is shorter than the two on the outside.

"Kagome...," Sango breaths. She immediately breaks away from Miroku and runs to the door of Kaede's hut, slipping inside. They hear the slayer's voice and some scuffling before she returns, walking past them toward the trio. Kaede emerges a few minutes later, rubbing the sleep from her good eye.

"Stay here," Miroku says, following the slayer. Hakkaku stands up beside the priestess, yawning widely. Shippo and Kilala jump to his shoulders and stare at the group assembling a little ways away. All four exchange looks before heading after the monk.

"Kagome!" Sango yells, running toward the girl. The miko breaks away from the two wolf-demons and runs to her friend, the pair embracing in a hug so tight that they lose their balance and fall to the ground. The others hurry to help them, only to discover the pair has rolled onto their backs and are giggling madly, their hands clasped together. "I think we need to get some sleep, Kagome," the tajiya says, taking the hand Miroku is offering. The miko nods as she grabs Koga's hand and he helps her to her feet. "Well?" Sango asks, worry still evident on her face even after the moment they just shared.

Kagome smiles as she looks at the group assembled around her. She forces back tears as she says, "He's gonna be fine." The sighs of relief are so loud that Kagome has to wait a few minutes before speaking again. "The doctors want to keep him for a few days--just to make sure--but Inuyasha should be back to normal within a week." She smiles again, looking around at them all. "I've gotta get back--he'll wake up soon. I just wanted to let you know," she whispers. Everyone nods as Sango hugs her again. Shippo hops to the miko's shoulder.

"I made this for Inuyasha. Can you give it to him?" he asks tentatively. Kagome takes the drawing and nods, a smile gracing her lips as she looks at it. "He'll love it," she whispers, pulling the kitsune into a hug. "I'll see you in a couple of days," she says, handing Shippo to Miroku and turning back towards the well.

"Give Inuyasha our best, child," Kaede says. Kagome smiles at the older priestess as she walks away, Koga and Ginta following just behind her. The others watch until the three of them disappear into the trees, before heading back to the miko's hut.

Nobody notices the shadow hiding in the treeline on the far side of the village. A relieved sigh escapes his lips as the silver-haired demon turns away.

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Kagome is walking down the hallway, looking for Inuyasha's room. Her mother had let her drive to the hospital by herself; she would come with Sota and Kagome's ojisan when they woke up later that morning. The miko sees Dr. Morihime at a nurse's station and heads for him.

"Doctor?"

"Kagome? Haven't you gotten any sleep yet?" he asks, a frown creasing his forehead. He stifles a yawn.

"No. I told you--not until I see Inuyasha," she replies, wishing he hadn't done that. Didn't he know yawning was contagious? "Which room is he in?"

"Follow me," Urute says, heading farther up the hall. He makes a couple of turns and comes to a room at the end of the hallway, on a corner of the hospital. "I thought it would be more..._discrete_...if he was in a room that didn't have a lot of people walking past," he says, turning at the door and facing her. "Inuyasha should be ok, so I'm gonna head home for now. I'll be back this afternoon. Here's my number if you should need me before then," he says handing her a small card and stifling another yawn. Kagome can't keep hers back this time. "Promise me you'll get some sleep?" he asks, putting his hand on top of her head. She nods. Urute smiles and walks past her, heading back to the nurse's station.

Kagome watches the doctor until he disappears around the corner, then steps into the doorway. The hanyou is lying on a bed, facing the window. He turns his head to look at her as she enters. Kagome stifles a gasp. Inuyasha's face is deathly pale and his normally vibrant eyes are almost blank--though she sees a spark in them as he looks at her. The skin around his eyes is bruised, as are the sides of his neck--still. Kagome bets that the back is also. His head is wrapped in bandages--except for his ears, which are sticking out the top. His right wrist has been set in a cast and is lying on his stomach. The corners of his lips turn up as he makes an attempt at a smile.

Kagome tries to bite back the tears in her eyes, but one escapes--rolling slowly down her cheek. "I'm...sorry...about your hair," she says, walking forward a little and closing the door so that there's only a shaft of light falling in from the hallway. The room is dim--the curtains have been drawn over half of the window. Out of nervousness, Kagome absently straightens her skirt, the sundress swaying around her legs as she moves. Her mother had made her shower and change--as well as eat a sandwich--before she came back. Kagome had been annoyed, but so tired that she hadn't argued.

Inuyasha's smile widens and he shrugs his shoulders. "I figured Sota would like it," he says hoarsely. "You look pretty," he mumbles, slowly closing his eyes.

"Thank you," she whispers--another tear following the previous one's track down her cheek. The half-demon opens his eyes. Kagome can't stand it anymore. "Inuyasha!" she yells, crossing the distance to his bed in seconds and throwing herself onto his chest, sobbing into the bed covers. He puts his good hand on the back of her head and runs his fingers through her hair, closing his eyes again.

"I was so worried," she whispers, looking up at him through her tears. "Everyone was." Inuyasha nods once, keeping his eyes closed. He smiles as Kagome lifts herself up to kiss him.

"Mmmmm...I needed that," he mumbles, putting his hand behind her head and drawing the girl forward so that her forehead is lightly touching his. He sighs.

Kagome hesitates a few seconds before drawing away to slip off her shoes and climb onto the bed, lying on top of him. The hanyou opens his eyes to watch as she slides under the covers, wrapping her arms around his torso and laying her head against his chest, listening to his breathing. Inuyasha closes his eyes again. The two of them are asleep within seconds.

* * *

Hmmmmm???? I finished this one fast. Only, like, 4 hours. One of the previous ones took, like, 10. Is that sad? I don't know. Hrmmm... 


	13. At the Hospital

Hey guys. I am so, so sorry this took so long. I got stuck for like, four days, trying to figure out what to put in. And I still don't know how I feel about it; I had to kill time in the hospital, so...And this is a long chap--I don't really know why. Mostly InuKag fluff, I think. But anyway, since I took so long on this chap, I'm gonna start on #14 right after I post this, so hopefully I can get it up in a couple of days. Uh...I think that's all. Ok, well...dozo!

* * *

Kagome slowly opens her eyes. Darkness is all around her. _Where...?_ The girl closes her eyes again as she realizes where she is. She can feel Inuyasha's steady breathing beneath her and snuggles closer to his warmth, listening to his heart thump-thumping in his chest. She sighs. _Am I gonna get to do this all the time? I hope so. This is the best feeling..._

Kagome vaguely wonders where the hospital put Inuyasha's clothes--because he's wearing a pair of flannel pajamas they've lent him. She starts rubbing small circles on his stomach, which is showing through the bottom of the shirt. The hanyou's muscles twitch.

"That...tickles," a deep rumble says. Kagome giggles and brings her lips down on his skin. She hears Inuyasha gasp. The girl notices that only the middle button on the shirt is fastened, and proceeds to place small kisses on his abdomen and chest, working her way up to his neck, where the covers slip off her head. She smiles at him, but the half-demon has his eyes closed. Kagome giggles again and resumes her ascent--drawing her lips up the side of his throat and down his jawline, hesitating a moment before continuing to his other side. Kagome smiles to herself as she hears a low hum coming from the hanyou.

When she reaches his adam's apple, the girl kisses his neck up to his chin, then heads across his cheek, over his brow, down the other cheek, over the bridge of his nose, and down to Inuyasha's mouth, but she doesn't kiss him there. Kagome continues pressing her lips to the skin surrounding his, without actually touching them. She hears the hum change to a growl. The miko smiles as she brings her lips down on his, cupping his face in the process. Inuyasha wraps one arm around the girl's shoulders and pulls her closer, deepening the kiss.

_No...__**this**__ is the best feeling..._ Kagome thinks, as she gently nibbles the hanyou's lips before pulling away. It takes her a few seconds to open her eyes. Inuyasha still has his closed, so she kisses him again. He smiles as she pulls away the second time.

"You have to do that every day. That's the new rule. Every day," he says, opening his lids halfway to gaze at her.

Kagome smiles. "Is it?" she asks, laughing out loud when Inuyasha nods seriously. She makes a show of pretending to think about it. "Okay," she says finally, shrugging.

Inuyasha stares at her, an astonished look in his eyes. "Really?"

Kagome grins. "We'll see," she says, sliding out from underneath the covers and off the bed. She stretches, her arms over her head, before Inuyasha grabs her around the waist and pulls her back to sit on the edge.

"I love you," he whispers, lifting himself up to nuzzle her neck. Kagome closes her eyes, feeling his warm breath on her skin.

"I love you, too," she says, resting her head carefully against his.

--------------------------

"Hello?" asks a small voice.

"Come in, Sota," Kagome replies, reluctantly withdrawing from Inuyasha. She moves to the end of the bed and sits down. The half-demon pouts at her before a flash of silver barrels into his chest.

"Inuyasha! Are you okay? How are you feeling? How long were you asleep? Did they give you a shot?" Sota continues to ramble off questions to the hanyou, who looks over the boy's head at Kagome, bewilderment on his face. The girl smiles and pulls gently on the long, silver locks hanging from her brother's head.

"In between all those questions, did you thank Inuyasha for giving you his hair, Sota?" she asks.

The boy stops talking abruptly and looks up at the half-demon with wide eyes, which flicker to the pointed ears sticking out the top of the bandages wrapped around Inuyasha's head. "Thank you, Inuyasha," Sota says, smiling widely, the pale hair framing his round face.

Inuyasha hesitates before grinning. He shrugs. "I thought you might like it, Sota, since you always talk about 'how cool' it is. Whad'ya think so far?"

Sota stands up straight and turns in a circle, the long hair floating behind him. "It's awesome!" the boy says, stopping abruptly and swinging his hands at Inuyasha while he shouts, "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!"

Kagome doubles over the bed in laughter, burying her face in the covers as she giggles. Inuyasha stares at the boy, trying to hide the scowl crossing his features. He's saved by Nozomi, who walks into the room and distracts Sota before he sees the hanyou's expression.

"Good afternoon, you two. Sota, you aren't bothering Inuyasha--are you?" she asks, handing Kagome, one, and Inuyasha, two, styrofoam boxes before settling down in a chair on the window side of the bed. She pulls two bottles of water out of Kagome's backpack and tosses them to her daughter and Inuyasha. Sota stands beside his mother until she settles, then hops into her lap.

"No, mom. I was just thanking Inuyasha for giving me his hair. Wasn't I, Inuyasha?" the boy asks, twirling a strand around his fingers.

"Mmm--hmmmm," the half-demon says, through a mouthful of hamburger. He could smell the food as soon as Nozomi entered the room and had barely restrained himself from grabbing the boxes out of her hand. The woman obviously knew who she was dealing with, because she had gotten Inuyasha twice as much food as Kagome.

"Can he have this?" Kagome asks, watching as the hanyou crams a handful of french fries into his mouth. "He did just come out of surgery, you know." The girl picks up a few of her own fries and puts them in her mouth, chewing slowly. "Where's Gramps?" Kagome frowns. "And what time is it, anyway?"

Nozomi smiles. "It's a little after one o'clock. I let Sota sleep in, since he was up past his bedtime last night. Your grandfather is flirting with one of the nurses out at the desk." Kagome stops--her hamburger halfway to her mouth--and stares; Inuyasha does the same. "She seems nice enough, but I think she's married," Nozomi shrugs. Kagome exchanges a confused look with Inuyasha as they continue eating. "And I called Urute before I left the house, and he said having Inuyasha eat was fine, provided that he was awake and coherent," Nozomi says, watching the boy before her with amusement. Sota stares, seemingly in awe of how fast the hanyou is devouring his food.

Inuyasha pauses in his chewing to ask, "Wutz cowhairunt?"

Kagome smiles. "I guess that means he is," she says, looking at her mother. Nozomi grins as her daughter turns back to the hanyou, laughing lightly at the look on his face. Inuyasha is glancing from the girl to her mother, his ears flattening out, his mouth open slightly--cheeks bulging with food. His eyes are narrowed, as if he thinks he's being insulted, though he doesn't know why. "It means that you know what's going on, Inuyasha. That you can follow the conversation," Kagome says, going back to her fries.

Inuyasha stares at her for a moment before he mumbles an 'oh,' and swallows his food. He takes a drink of the water before digging into another hamburger.

Kagome rolls her eyes at the half-demon and studies him as they eat. The color has come back to his cheeks and the bruises under his eyes are gone. His amber eyes are bright and Kagome can see tiny silver hairs peeking out from underneath his bandages. _That's why he wasn't worried about his hair...it'll grow back in no time. Well, he did grow a tooth back in a day, so I guess hair isn't that big of a deal..._ Kagome leans backwards a little bit to get a better view of his neck. She briefly glances at Tetsusaiga's hilt sticking out from underneath the pillows before she looks up. Now that Inuyasha isn't lying back, she can see that the bruises on his neck are healing. She smiles to herself, relieved. Inuyasha was going to be okay.

"Oh, Kagome? I packed some things for you and Inuyasha in your bag. I thought you'd probably want to stay with him while he's here," Nozomi says. She and Sota are braiding sections of the silver hair the boy's wearing.

Kagome hops off the bed and walks around to her bag, sitting down in another chair and pulling it towards her. She hears Inuyasha grunt and looks up at him, only to see the half-demon eagerly eyeing the rest of her food. The girl waves a hand vaguely in his direction, indicating that he can have the rest of it. Inuyasha immediately attacks her box. Kagome giggles quietly as she pushes the items around in her bag, noticing things for both her and the boy in the bed: three changes of clothes--each, pajamas--each, a couple of Kagome's schoolbooks, notes, and homework, toiletries, a deck of cards, a couple of magazines and novels, and some candy. Seeing the sweets reminds her of something, and Kagome gets up and walks around the bed to where she had dropped her purse the night before. She pulls a piece of paper out and hands it to Inuyasha.

The hanyou has just finished eating and downs the rest of his water before taking the paper and unfolding it. His eyes widen slightly, a scowl crossing his face, which is replaced by a small smile as he continues to stare at the drawing. The hanyou's eyes soften. He looks up at Kagome. "Shippo?"

The girl nods. "I guess he thought it'd make you feel better," Kagome says, picking up the boxes and food wrappings and taking them over to the trash can. She comes back and leans against the bed, taking the fingers of Inuyasha's injured hand and twining them with her own.

Inuyasha smiles at her before looking back down at the drawing.

"It does--oddly enough. Are you going to see them today?" the hanyou asks, turning sideways to set the drawing on the table beside the bed.

"No." Kagome's abrupt answer causes the hanyou to stare at her, his eyebrows raised in question. She smiles. "I told the guys that they would keep you for a few days, so I wouldn't see them til then, either," she replies, leaning forward to kiss Inuyasha gently. He smiles as a small laugh comes from the chair beside the bed. The couple turns to the window side of the bed, having forgotten that they had an audience. Their cheeks redden as Sota continues to giggle and Nozomi stares at her daughter and the half-demon boy with raised brows.

_Crap..._

"Uhh...," Kagome says. "...mom, I need to tell you something," she whispers, leaning away from Inuyasha and sitting down on the bed. Inuyasha looks as though he wants to hide under his pillows.

Nozomi looks back and forth between the girl and the boy, her face unreadable. Sota continues to smile, making what Kagome has to say even more difficult.

"Uh, mom? You know Inuyasha and I have...kinda been dating...for awhile...," Kagome says. She's still holding the hanyou's fingers, which she is now rubbing absently with her own.

Nozomi nods. Her expression hasn't changed.

Kagome looks sideways at Inuyasha, who catches her eye. His ears are starting to droop slightly. She looks back at her family and notices that Sota has a huge grin on his face, and is struggling to stay silent. Kagome glances up at her mother and sees that the older woman is also trying to maintain a straight face. Kagome glares at her brother.

"Sota! You told them!" she yells, letting go of Inuyasha's hand to strangle her brother. Sota starts laughing loudly and runs from the room, dodging his sister's attempt to grab him. She can hear his giggles fade as he skips up the hallway. Kagome looks back at her mother, who has risen from the chair, a smile gracing her face.

"Congratulations, you two," she says, stepping over to Inuyasha and leaning down to kiss his cheek. Kagome can't remember the last time he turned that many shades of red. The half-demon sinks down in the bed and mumbles a 'thank-you.' Nozomi laughs lightly and comes around the bed to embrace her daughter. "I want a girl and a boy," she whispers.

Kagome pulls away and looks at her mother with something close to horror. She knows that Inuyasha is probably wearing the same expression, as his excellent hearing allowed him to hear her words. "M...mom...!" she says, a bright red flush crawling up her cheeks.

Her mother laughs again, shaking her head amusedly as she returns to her chair. Kagome turns to Inuyasha, her mouth opening slightly in shock when she sees him. The hanyou has pulled the covers up--only his ears are showing. Kagome is staring at him--trying to figure out the best way to get the embarrassed hanyou to come out--when Dr. Morihime, Sota, and Kagome's grandfather walk into the room. Sota dodges his sister's hand again, and races back over to his mother's lap, still laughing. Kagome's Gramps plops down in the extra chair and mumbles under his breath about 'married women.' Urute walks between Kagome and the head of the bed and calls to the half-demon.

"Inuyasha? I need to check some things, Inuyasha," he says professionally. Kagome looks up at him and sees a wide grin cross his face. "Congratulations," he says quietly, making the girl blush again. Her grandfather pipes up just then.

"That's right, girl. Sota told us this morning that you and the young half-demon were gonna get married. Were you gonna tell us anytime soon or just wait until there were little quarter-demons running around the house?" he asks, a serious look on his face.

_Oh...my...Kami! Gramps did not just ask that!_

Kagome sees the rest of Inuyasha disappear under the covers, as Dr. Morihime, her mother, and Sota fight to hide their smiles. The girl knows her face is now the color of Inuyasha's robe, and--determined that she won't face the onslaught of teasing by herself--walks around the bed and yanks the covers off of the hanyou's head. He glares up at her and crosses his arms over his chest, determinedly looking away from Kagome's family as they stare at him, still smiling. Urute holds a small stick in front of Inuyasha's face.

"Open up," he says, waving the thermometer under the hanyou's nose, a hint of a grin still gracing the doctor's lips. Inuyasha stares up at him as if he's gone mad.

"What?" he asks, annoyed and confused, a pink tinge still on his cheeks. He had been worried about Kagome's family accepting him; to have them go beyond that and start asking about kids already, was unnerving. And scary. Inuyasha didn't know how to deal with this development.

Kagome rolls her eyes and takes the instrument from the doctor. She puts her other hand on Inuyasha's jaw and gently pulls down. "Put this under your tongue and keep it there until Dr. Morihime says you can take it out. Don't bite it," she warns, letting go of both the thermometer and Inuyasha as he takes it in his mouth. The hanyou glares and tries to mumble something, but Kagome places one finger to his lips. "And don't talk," she says, trying to hide a smile. Inuyasha narrows his eyes and huffs, but makes no other sound. Kagome grins and sits down on the bed next to him, taking his injured hand again and massaging his fingers. She glances back at him to see the scowl slowly disappearing from his face. Urute smiles and pulls something from his pocket.

"Look at me, Inuyasha," he says, clicking a button on the end of a pen. The half-demon turns his head and Dr. Morihime shines the light into and out of each of the boy's eyes several times. He nods, pulling the light away. Inuyasha growls lightly. Urute looks confused.

"Uhhh..."

"He just wants to know what you're doing," Kagome says. She's still playing with Inuyasha's fingers. She hadn't even looked up.

"Oh. Uh, the eyes react to light. The irises--the colored part of your eyes--grow bigger or smaller to let in different amounts of light, adjusting to let in only what you need to see. If your eyes are working the way they should, your irises will quickly adjust when I move the light over them," Urute explains. Inuyasha has a disbelieving look on his face. He snorts.

"Show him yours," Kagome says, looking up at the pair of them. Urute looks flustered for a moment before he turns to Inuyasha. Sota jumps out of his mother's lap and climbs onto the bed.

"Ooooh! I wanna see! Let me see!" he says excitedly, scrambling to sit in between his sister and Inuyasha. The hanyou looks completely surprised, but helps the boy settle before both of them look at Dr. Morhime expectantly.

"Uh...okay. Just...watch my irises--the colored part--as I move the light into my eye," he says, clicking the pen and shining it into his own honey-colored eye. Inuyasha and Sota watch intently, the latter of which 'oohs' when they see that the iris gets smaller when the light hits it. The doctor moves the light away and it gets larger. The half-demon blinks, then snorts again in acknowledgement before leaning back against the pillows. Sota smiles widely and takes the pen from Urute, turning around to shine the light at the hanyou, who narrows his eyes at the boy before allowing him to see his golden irises change size.

"Inuyasha gets it," Kagome says, smiling at the doctor before going back Inuyasha's fingers. "That's why he made that sound." Urute looks from the girl to the boy before taking the thermometer out of latter's mouth and looking at it. He frowns slightly and places his hand to Inuyasha's forehead.

"How did you do that, by the way?" Urute asks, removing his stethoscope from his neck and placing one end to the hanyou's chest. Inuyasha twitches at the cold metal, glaring a little at the man, but the doctor is too preoccupied to notice.

"Do what?" Kagome asks, looking at the doctor in confusion.

"You knew what he meant even though he wasn't talking. Sometimes people can read each other, but usually only after they've known each other for several years. How long have you been together?" he asks, unaware of the sudden awkwardness he's just caused.

"Uh...," Inuyasha says hesitantly, glancing at Kagome. She shakes her head, her brows coming together in a scowl. She immediately replaces it with a smile when Urute looks at her. "We haven't been uh... dating very long, but we've been friends for uh, several years," Inuyasha says, completely confused as to why he just lied to the doctor's face. Kagome's grandfather and Nozomi are talking heatedly about nurses, and Sota is still playing with the pen-light, so none of them notice the strange conversation happening in the room. Urute nods and waves his hand at Inuyasha to get him to sit up.

"Breathe in and hold it, then release it slowly when tell you," the doctor says, lifting Inuyasha's shirt and placing the metal against the hanyou's back. Inuyasha takes a deep breath, holding it for several seconds before Dr. Morihime says 'okay,' and the half-demon releases the breath. Urute nods.

"Okay. Your eyes are a little slow to react, but that's normal right after a head injury. Your breathing's fine, but your pulse is a little on the fast side...but that's probably normal for you," he says quickly eyeing the ears on top of Inuyasha's head. "I'll check again this evening and compare the rates. And your temperature's a little high, but that's probably normal for you, too. How do you feel, Inuyasha? Any headaches? Does your neck hurt? Your sinuses?"

Kagome draws a finger across her cheekbones and her nose, and over her forehead when the hanyou looks confused. He nods at her. "I don't really have a headache...it just feels like something's...pushing on the back of my head. And...through here," the boy replies, waving one hand vaguely around his eyes. Urute smiles.

"Okay. It sounds like you might have a small infection, but we're gonna keep you for a few days, so we should be able to take care of that." The doctor gives Inuyasha a sorrowful look when the boy's expression changes into a shocked gape. "It's standard procedure. We keep head injuries for two days minimum, longer if they've had surgery, but Kagome said that demons heal faster than humans, so you should be out of here...two, three days, tops," Dr. Morihime says, gently prying his pen away from Sota. Inuyasha still looks as though someone had the audacity to try and steal Tetsusaiga out from underneath his nose. "I'll be back later this evening. Call the desk or page me if you need anything," Urute says, waving as he leaves the room.

"Well, that should give me plenty of time to study," Kagome says cheerily, giggling as she sees the glare Inuyasha is giving her. The half-demon sighs back into his pillows, putting his arm over his eyes.

"Wanna play cards?" Sota asks, lifting the older boy's arm and peering underneath it. Inuyasha sighs again, pulling the covers over his head.

--------------------------

"Aaaarrgggghhhhh!"

"Calm down, Inuyasha. It's only been 7 minutes," Kagome says, glancing at the stopwatch she had borrowed from the nurse's desk. Why the nurses had a stopwatch, she didn't know. She supposed they got bored sometimes, too. A brief image a wheelchair race down the hallway flashes throuh her mind before Inuyasha gets her attention.

"But I got the last one in five. Why did this one take longer?" the irrate hanyou asks, flipping back several pages in the _Sudoku_ book Kagome had gotten from the gift shop.

Inuyasha had solved all the puzzles in the _Word Find_ book Nozomi had brought him--in about 5 hours. Kagome had him try the _Crossword_ one, but being from _Sengoku Jidai_, the clues were too modern for him. Today was the second day Inuyasha had been in the hospital. Kagome's family had stayed most of the day before, getting to know the half-demon better, since he was soon to be part of the family; they left for home soon after Sota started nodding off. Kagome had spent the next hour explaining what Inuyasha had missed in the cave while he was unconscious, after which Urute came back and checked the hanyou over again. Kagome had explained about the half-demon and his sword while he worked. She had fallen asleep shortly after, grumbling about having to constantly answer questions.

The doctor had said that Inuyasha could go home on the third day--if the pressure on his head was gone and his wrist had healed. He would still need to stay at Kagome's for another day--just in case something happened, but Dr. Morihime thought that Inuyasha would be fine. They were going to X-ray his wrist the next morning to see how well it was coming along. Kagome had gotten the math puzzle book because Inuyasha was starting to get irritated from staying in one spot for so long, and, as a result, had started bugging her to amuse himself. The girl was actually making progress with her homework, and had no intention of letting the hanyou distract her, so she had found something else to occupy him. And he was pretty good at it.

"Because the last one was marked 'easy.' That means that it's not supposed to take very long to figure out. And you finished it before the eight minutes it was supposed to take, anyway. This one was supposed take 10 to finish, because it's 'medium.' That means it's harder than the other one," Kagome replies, resetting the stopwatch and going back to her novel. The girl had just finished all her other homework, and was starting to read the book she was supposed to write a report on.

"Humph..." Inuyasha retorts, turning back to the page he was on and starting the next puzzle. "Start," he says, waiting until he hears a beep from the watch before he starts writing. Kagome smiles as she watches the hanyou hunched over the book, his brows furrowed intently. She had never pegged him as being particulary smart--not that she thought he was dumb, in any way. _Well...except when it comes to girls...but that's something else..._

Kagome had always thought the half-demon had more--for lack of a better term-- 'street smarts,' rather than being scholarly, like Miroku. But now she realized that maybe it was just because Inuyasha hadn't been able to learn like they had. Maybe it wasn't that the hanyou _couldn't_, but simply that he _didn't. _His main goal in life--until recently--was to survive. Book learning was a luxury Inuyasha couldn't have afforded. Kagome grins. If he's interested, she's going to change that. He was too absorbed in and too..._good_...at the puzzles not to give him the chance.

"In..."

Kagome hears a growl before she's even said his name. She rolls her eyes. He wasn't done with the puzzle yet. And timing was everything. Kagome stares at him, hoping to break his concentration enough to get him to look at her. It's no good--he's too preoccupied with the puzzle. She rolls her eyes again and goes back to her book. It was quite interesting actually--about two men who are wrongfully imprisoned, one of them marrying the other's daughter when he is freed. He returns to his homeland to help a friend, and then he, his wife and daughter, and her father must flee with their lives. Kagome tries to read to the bottom of the page, but is interrupted by a loud grumbling from her stomach. She doubted even Inuyasha could have ignored that. As if he could read her thoughts about him, the hanyou speaks.

"Time," he says, looking at her expectantly. Kagome clicks the stopwatch and looks at the number.

"Five minutes."

Inuyasha beams, turning the book to her and pointing at one of the puzzles. Kagome looks at the 'Medium' heading at the top of the page, then at the '10 minutes' written beside it, next to the words: 'Estimated time to finish.' She smiles at him. _That's what I mean..._

"Excellent. You're getting faster," she says, setting her book on top of her backpack and stretching. Inuyasha grins and goes back to the book, flipping some pages to find a different puzzle. Kagome frowns. "Let's go eat, Inuyasha. You said we could go half an hour ago," she says, dropping her feet from the bed and sliding forward in the chair she's occupying. She turns to glance out the window--it's already dark.

"Just one more," Inuyasha mumbles, starting another puzzle without asking her to start the stopwatch. He knows she's hungry--he had heard her stomach a few minutes ago--but these puzzles were just so..._addictive._

Kagome glares at him before an evil grin comes across her face. Inuyasha is absorbed in the book and doesn't pay much attention when Kagome stands and leans against the bed. The girl slowly brings her lips to his neck and starts kissing a spot just above his collarbone, where his neck meets his shoulder. She grins as she feels the hanyou tense, but she can still hear the scribble of his pencil. Kagome closes her eyes and begins sucking on his skin, using her teeth lightly every few seconds. She smiles again when she hears a soft _fwump_; Inuyasha has dropped the book.

Kagome grins and pulls away to look down on a very dejected hanyou. He pouts. "That was mean," he says, a slight whine coming out on the last word. Kagome rolls her eyes and grabs his hand, pulling the boy out of bed.

"You're starting to sound like Shippo," she says, kissing him quickly before heading for the door. She stops suddenly and walks back to her bag to grab the black and white bandana, tying it quickly around the hanyou's ears. He still looks upset. "We can make-out after dinner," Kagome says, stepping into her flip-flops and nudging Inuyasha's toward his feet as she grabs her purse. He looks at her playfully as he slides the shoes onto his feet.

"R..e..a..l..l..y?" he says, a deep rumble echoing from his chest. Kagome's eyes widen as she slowly backs away from the half-demon and out the door, her hands held in front of her protectively.

"Y..e..s. _After_ dinner," she says, emphasizing the 'after.' Inuyasha grins and stalks toward her. "I..n..u..y..a..s..h..a..," she warns.

The hanyou makes a dive for the girl, but she dodges and takes off up the hallway as he slides into the wall opposite his room. The nurses watch with amusement as a dark-haired girl runs squealing past their desk, a boy wearing a bandana chasing after her, huge smiles on both their faces.

----------------------

"Inuyasha...can't you wait until we get back to the room?" Kagome says, staggering slowly up the hallway from the weight on her back.

As soon as they had passed the nurse's desk and had turned a corner into a deserted hallway, he had attacked the girl, grabbing Kagome from behind and pinning her arms to her sides. He was now kissing the back of her neck and shoulders, leaning into her, and sending chills up the girl's spine. _I shouldn't have worn a tank top... _Kagome thinks, closing her eyes as she steps into the doorway to his room. She stops walking and drops her head forward, inviting him to kiss further up her neck, up to her hairline. Kagome didn't know why she liked that so much, it was just one of those things. It was also a favorite of the hanyou's.

"Nooooo...," Inuyasha drawls. Kagome can tell he's smiling.

The girl feels herself being lifted, then Inuyasha's other hand lifts her chin upward so that she's leaning back against him as the half-demon walks into the room. Kagome lets her flip-flops slide off her feet and drops her purse; she can feel Inuyasha slipping out of his before he walks over to the bed and sits down--Kagome in his lap. She smiles as he wraps his arms around her own, twining her fingers with his.

"I've been out for 3 days," he whispers, as if this explained it all. Actually, it does.

Kagome had told him they would have fun--and they did. Inuyasha was still pretty shy about showing affection in front of others--though he was getting much better about it--so he and Kagome would usually go off on their own for a little while after the group had camped for the night. Miroku almost always made an insinuating remark when they came back, to be followed promptly by a smack from Sango with whatever was handy. Neither of them was ready for what the monk implied, and they both knew it. But that didn't stop Kagome from teaching Inuyasha how to have fun. The hanyou was way too uptight for his own good.

The pair usually just laid in each other's arms, snuggling as they talked about the day. There was often a battle to discuss, but on several occasions nothing of importance had happened, and the couple would play. Kagome could often incite Inuyasha into chasing her, obviously letting the girl get away. She once buried him under a pile of fallen leaves, when Inuyasha made the mistake of falling asleep. Kagome had laughed for days after that incident. A few times--whenever they were near a lake or pond--they would go swimming; the rest of the group often joining them. And of course, there was the tickling.

Kagome couldn't go a week without reminding Inuyasha that he was ticklish. She usually did it when he least expected, because the half-demon would avoid her for the next hour or so, Kagome teasing him by blowing kisses, smiling as Inuyasha struggled to decide whether he would risk her fingers to receive one. He would often use his speed to run in close to the girl, stealing a kiss before running away again. It was a game to see who would last longer.

Kagome almost always gave in first, deciding that she wanted to be close to the hanyou rather than torture him any longer. She did it just to see him smile. And he usually did that when he was kissing her, anyway. That's what the half-demon meant when he said he was 'out for three days.' Inuyasha had been deprived of his 'fun' time.

"You know Dr. Morihime is supposed to be back to check on you," Kagome says, tilting her head back and resting it on his shoulder. Inuyasha takes this as an invitation and moves from the back of her neck to the front.

"Mmmmm-hmmmmm...," he mumbles, placing soft kisses on Kagome's neck, working his way up to her cheek where he pauses, teasing the girl.

"Now who's mean?" she asks, opening her eyes to glare at him. Inuyasha smiles before trailing more kisses across her cheek to her lips. The pair kisses softly, passionately, until a voice in the hallway gets their attention. They break apart and turn toward the door as they hear Urute's voice.

"Goodnight, Taruki. See you in the morning."

Kagome reluctantly slides out of Inuyasha's lap, knowing that the doctor is headed their way. The hanyou sighs and crawls up to the head of the bed, picking up the _Sudoku_ book he had dropped earlier. Kagome returns to her chair and picks up her novel. Urute walks in a minute later.

"How are you two this evening?" he asks tiredly. He yawns.

"We're fine," Kagome responds. "Why are you so tired?" she asks, flipping the book open to the last page she was on.

"I had the first shift this morning. I was here at 6, working on a woman's spine." Inuyasha gives him an alarmed look. The doctor smiles. "She's fine. She was in a car accident a few days ago. We went in this morning--we weren't sure if it would do any good--but she's already got feeling back in her toes, so that's a good sign." He yawns again. "But between you and her, Inuyasha, I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately," he says, removing his stethoscope and placing it under the front of the half-demon's shirt.

"Uh...sorry," Inuyasha mumbles, his ears drooping. Urute laughs.

"Don't be sorry. I love my job. Despite the hours," he replies, replacing the instrument and removing a thermometer and the pen-light.

Inuyasha perks up a bit and silently takes the glass stick in his mouth, staring at Dr. Morihime as he shines the light over his eyes. The man nods when he removes the thermometer a few minutes later.

"Good. I was right--you're temp and pulse are a little high for a human, but hold constant for you. And you're breathing and eyes are fine. How's your head feeling?" Urute asks, replacing the items in a pocket.

"Fine," Inuyasha says. "There's no pressure anywhere, or any pain. I feel good," he says, smiling a little. He was _soo_ ready to get out of here. Urute returns the smile.

"Okay. We'll check your wrist in the morning. If it's healed, you can go home right after, but you need to rest for at least another day--just to be sure," the doctor says. Inuyasha has to restrain himself from jumping excitedly from the bed. "Well, you're my last patient of the day, so I get to go home now. I'll be in around 8 tomorrow to take you up to X-ray, Inuyasha. Good night, you two. Sleep well--I know I will," Urute says, yawning as he gives the pair a semi-salute before walking out of the room.

"Bye."

"Bye, Dr. Morihime."

"He's alright," Inuyasha says after a minute, making Kagome look up from the novel she wasn't concentrating on anyway. She nods.

"We owe him your life," Kagome says solemnly. Inuyasha stares at her for a minute before sighing.

"I know," he responds, leaning back against his pillows and holding his hand out to her. Kagome sets her book down and takes Inuyasha's hand, climbing onto the bed next to him. Inuyasha silently runs his hand through her hair, letting his mind wander. "Why did you have me lie to him the other day? when he asked how long we knew each other? Wouldn't it have been easier just to tell him that we met just under two years ago?" he asks, slightly surprised at how long it's been. Inuyasha felt like it had been much more than that, what with everything they'd been through.

Kagome stays silent for several minutes, listening to the hanyou's heartbeat. "It was nothing, really. Dr. Morihime knows that you're half demon, but he doesn't know that a magical well on the Shrine property allows me to travel back in time 500 years, or that you're from that time and can come here. He wouldn't understand that we know each other so well because we've been through so much, even though we haven't actually known each other that long. And I don't think we could explain about all our...um... _adventures, _well enough to make him understand. It was just easier to say we'd been friends for a long time."

"Oh," Inuyasha says, stopping his hands on the girl's shoulders. Kagome sighs and rolls onto the boy, pulling the glass vial holding the pale pink jewel shards out and setting it on his chest, before crossing her arms and resting her chin on them. She stares up into the hanyou's golden eyes.

"How many more...do you think?" Kagome asks, her eyes flicking from his to the shards and back.

Inuyasha glances at the almost complete _Shikon no Tama_ and sighs. "I don't know. Kohaku still has his shard, and Koga has the two in his legs--but I'll take those when I kick his ass for sitting on me," the half-demon says, grinning. Kagome smiles back at him, before her face slides back into a serious frown. Inuyasha watches her for a few seconds before picking up the tiny jar and turning it back and forth between his fingers, the light overhead sending scattered rays from the fragments onto his chest. "I would guess... two...maybe three more besides those. It's hard to tell without the jewel being whole."

Kagome nods and tilts the jar onto it's side when Inuyasha sets it back down. She slowly rolls it back and forth over his shirt, listening to the tiny _clinks_ the shards make as they knock against each other. The girl finally looks up, opening her mouth to say something before deciding against it and bringing her lips back together, a slight frown creasing her brow.

The half-demon watches her for a few minutes, noting the way she's refusing to look at him, and the pink tint on her cheeks. He smiles to himself as it dawns on him what Kagome was about to say. Or _ask_.

"No," Inuyasha says, bringing one hand down to lift her chin. Kagome looks at him, as surprised by what he just said than by how he knew what she was going to ask. He leans forward, bringing his lips close to hers. "I have what I want," he whispers, smiling before he kisses her.

* * *

Ok--how was that? Does anybody know the novel Kagome was reading? Hrmmm? I've gotta go work on #14 now, cause this was a fluff chap, and I need some suspense. :) 


	14. Destinations

Here is chap 14. I stayed up late to finish it, cause my b-day is, oh, today, and I wanted to get it up before I don't have any time this weekend. There's fluff in this chap, too. I think I'm on a fluff kick. Oh, I know the timing is off at the end, but it'll get fixed in the next chap. Well, enjoy!

* * *

"Is that everything?" Kagome asks. She and Inuyasha had woken up early, and--after their new, daily ritual--proceeded to gather various belongings scattered throughout Inuyasha's room. The hanyou had looked at her with pleading eyes when she had left the bed without kissing him, and it had taken several seconds for the girl to remember what she had done two days before. Kagome had left the room before Inuyasha woke up the second day, and he got distracted by Urute before he could get her to do it again. But today was a different story.

Laughing quietly, Kagome had gently kissed Inuyasha's stomach, chest, neck, and face, again teasing him by not going for his lips directly and wondering all the while when exactly she and Inuyasha had started sleeping together. Kagome figured Miroku would have some fun with that information--especially if Inuyasha wanted to continue to keep her close at night, which she didn't mind in the slightest. The girl had gotten a deep-throated growl from the half-demon for her efforts, though it was a contented sound. And she had trouble getting him out of the bed for several minutes afterward, finally resorting to tickling him--which worked instantly.

Now they had gotten ready and had packed everything in her bag--except for Inuyasha's _Sudoku_ book and Tetsusaiga. Kagome had told her mom that she and Inuyasha would take the bus home, as they didn't plan on staying too long at the hospital that morning, and it would be silly for Nozomi to drive all the way over here and then turn right back around. Her mom had agreed, as long as Kagome called to let her know when they were leaving. The girl had a sneaking suspicion that her mom was planning something, but hadn't mentioned it to the starting-to-grow-silver-hair-again half-demon. Kagome was very surprised to wake up and see three inches of hair sticking out from under Inuyasha's bandages; it was at least as long as Sota's. She had smiled when she saw it--Kagome loved Inuyasha's hair.

"I think so," Inuyasha says, squatting to look under the bed as Kagome checks the bathroom again. He straightens up and looks over to the table beside the bed, seeing the drawing Shippo had made for him. The half-demon picks up the paper and folds it carefully in half before sticking it inside his book. He sets it on the bed beside Kagome's backpack and pulls his sword out from underneath the pillows, twirling it around a few times.

"Hey, watch it," Kagome says, stepping back a few feet as the sword flies around in front of her. It's still sheathed, but it could give the girl a few nice bruises if it hit. Inuyasha blushes.

"Sorry. I haven't held it in a few days; I just wanted to make sure I still knew how to handle it," he says, turning to face her before swinging Tetsusaiga over his head and down to his side, jabbing it in various directions at imagined enemies. Kagome can feel her heart beating faster while she watches the hanyou practice--his muscles flexing as he moves. Inuyasha finally stops, raising his brow as he notices the girl staring, her mouth open slightly. "What?" he asks, narrowing his eyes playfully.

Kagome blushes and walks over to her bag, keeping her head down. "Nothing," she mumbles, fiddling with the straps. She can feel Inuyasha staring at her. She jumps when he whispers in her ear.

"You like what you saw?" he asks, dropping his voice to a low, deep-throated growl and drawing out the words. Kagome feels her heart start beating furiously in her chest. Inuyasha whispers again. "I can hear that, you know..."

Kagome breaths a sigh of relief when Dr. Morihime walks in, greeting the pair with a cheery, 'Good Morning!' The girl refuses to look at either of the men, pretending rearrange things in her bag to give her heart time to settle down. She can still feel Inuyasha staring at her.

"How are we today, Inuyasha? Any pain?" Urute asks, motioning for the boy to sit down on the bed.

"No," Inuyasha says, glancing quickly at Kagome, a smirk on his face. He turns back to the doctor, his eyes widening as he sees a pair of scissors closing on his head. He leans backward, giving the doctor a surprised look.

"I'm just gonna get rid of you're bandages," Urute says, smiling. "It'll be faster to cut them."

The half-demon nods and lets the doctor remove the material encircling his head. He hears Dr. Morihime mumbling to himself, but can't make out the words. He's also alternately nodding and shaking his head. "What?" Inuyasha asks, slightly unnerved by the doctors' behavior. Kagome finally turns to look at them, alarmed at the boy's tone.

Urute stares at them a second, confused. Comprehension dawns on his face as he removes the last of the bandages. "Oh...nothing. I was thinking about one of my other patients --the woman I was working on yesterday. I tend to talk out loud about things--it helps me remember," he says, rotating Inuyasha's head to look at the back. The hanyou gives Kagome an 'okay' look, telling her that he thought the doctor was slightly out of his mind, but the girl simply smiles.

"Good. The bruising and swelling is gone, and the incision is almost healed," Urute says, trying to pat down the shock of silver hair sticking out from the boy's head. "Certainly grows fast--doesn't it?" he says, pocketing the scissors and tossing the bandages in the trash. "Well, if you two are ready, we'll go up to X-ray and make sure that wrist is healed, and run another CAT scan before letting you go...just to make sure," Dr. Morihime adds upon seeing the alarmed look on the two teenagers faces. "Sound good?"

Inuyasha is out the door before the doctor finishes his sentence, Kagome giggling softly behind him.

-------------------------

"It's been three days already. When are Kagome and Inuyasha gonna be back? Do you think something happened?" Shippo asks, looking up from another drawing to the monk seated beside him. Miroku is silent for a few minutes before he responds, staring blindly into the small fire inside Kaede's hut.

"I don't know, Shippo. Kagome said it would be a few days. Her doctors probably just want to make sure Inuyasha is okay before they let him go." The kitsune seems to accept this answer, and goes back to his drawing. Miroku lifts his right hand to eye level, holding back a sigh.

Ever since the battle with the goat demons, the hoshin's hand had been sore. That huge boulder he had sucked up had torn the edges of the _Wind Tunnel_, and the wound had been slow to heal. Miroku shakes his head, burying it in his hands a few seconds later. _No more than a month...maybe a little less... If I use it...even less time than that..._

The monk hadn't told anyone, but the hole in his hand had steadily been getting bigger since their last battle with Naraku. The rate at which it was widening had gotten faster since they'd killed the half-demon. _Bastard...he knew...he __**knew**__ what was gonna happen...that evil..._

"Where did Sango go again?" Shippo asks suddenly, snapping Miroku out of his trance. The fox was still coloring and hadn't noticed the monk's strange behavior.

"She, Kilala, and Kaede went to find some more herbs. Koga, Hakkuku, and Ginta have used a lot of them, because of their wounds from Inuyasha. They weren't supposed to go very far--they should be back soon," Miroku replies, finally letting the sigh he's been holding back out. Shippo looks up at him, one eyebrow raised, but figures that the hoshin simply misses the tajiya. They had been fairly close the past few days.

"I wonder if Inuyasha knows that his claws are mildly poisonous?" the kit asks after a minute. "I'm not really surprised, since Sesshomaru has a _Poison Claws _attack, but you'd think the idiot would know his own attacks by now." Shippo sits up and looks at his drawing, tilting it back and forth before turning to lay it on top of the small pile he was accumulating in the corner. He turns back to Miroku, who is grinning slightly.

"That's true. But how many of Inuyasha's enemies live to find out if they've been poisoned? He's not usually one to cause pain just for the fun of it--unlike his brother," the monk says. Shippo considers this for a moment, then nods.

"I guess," he says, stretching. "I'm gonna see what the boys are up to," he says, pushing the reed flap aside to exit the hut. Miroku watches the beads around his arm twinkle in the afternoon sun before the light is blocked off.

The monk knows that Shippo is talking about the trio of wolf demons sitting outside. After three days, their injuries were healed, but--though they wouldn't admit it--the okami wanted to make sure Inuyasha was going to be okay. The hoshin was actually glad they were here. It would make leaving tomorrow easier.

Miroku had decided that if Kagome and Inuyasha didn't come back by tomorrow morning, he was going to go find the Canthathirls by himself. He was running out of time as it was, and he didn't know how long it would take to get to the demon's mountain, or how long after that to find them. _Also...if my Wind Tunnel grows too large, and I can't control it anymore, at least I won't be around anyone I..._

The monk shakes his head as an image of Inuyasha flying into his wind tunnel flashes through his mind. _I can't think about stuff like that. It'll be better if I go by myself; then I won't have to worry about them..._

The monk stands, picking up his staff and heading out the door. He looks around for a few minutes before he sees Shippo playing some sort of game with Hakkaku and Ginta a little ways up the road. He can see Kaede and Sango emerging from the forest behind them, Kilala riding on the slayer's head, her two tails swinging gently back and forth as Sango walks. Miroku smiles to himself.

He and the tajiya had gotten a lot closer in the past few days; much of it had to do with the fact that they were both still somewhat worried about their hanyou friend. But it was also because Miroku--the flirtatious, lecherous, mind-in-the-gutter, perverted monk--had not once groped his fiance since before the cave-in, five days ago. Well, that wasn't exactly true. Miroku hadn't _groped_ Sango, so much as just let his hand rest wherever it, well..._fell. _

But he was trying--and Sango could tell. The tajiya could see him struggling to keep his hands to himself, and she was happy that the monk was at least putting in the effort. And if he succeeded, Sango would usually kiss him. Not when anyone was around of course--she didn't want to encourage that behavior any more than she did his pervertedness. The slayer would just offer him little _encouragements_ whenever Miroku overcame his...handicap. And it seemed to be working--the monk was far more likely to grab Sango's hand or pull her into a hug than go for anything else. Though he still slipped sometimes.

_I try, but I can't break the habit completely. I'm only human, you know..._ Miroku thinks, leaning against the side of the hut and sighing. There was a drawback to him and the girl getting closer, though. The two of them were beginning to act like Kagome and Inuyasha--they could tell when something was off with the other. Sango knew something was wrong with the monk. She could tell by his voice and his actions. She just didn't know what--yet. And Miroku knew that she knew. _And if I have anything to say about it, Sango won't find out what's bothering me... _the hoshin says to himself, glancing at the ground and poking small holes in the dirt with his staff. He starts as Koga speaks from above him.

"She'll figure it out, you know," the okami says, dropping from Kaede's roof to the ground next to Miroku.

"What?" Miroku asks nervously. There's no way that Koga knew what was troubling him-- was there?

"Whatever's bugging you, monk. I can tell from the anxiousness in you're scent, but the slayer knows that something's wrong. And she's smart enough to figure it out. It won't take her much longer to find out what's bothering you," Koga replies, leaning against the hut next to Miroku and crossing his arms.

The hoshin watches him with narrowed eyes for a few moments before looking back at the women, who have just passed the first of the houses into the village. Sango glances in their direction and waves, a smile gracing her face. Miroku feels his heart thump and he waves back, his cheeks taking on a pinkish tint when he realizes Koga is watching him. He slowly puts his arm down and turns back to the wolf.

"I think it's that _thing_ in you're hand," Koga says softly. Miroku blanches.

"How...," the monk starts to ask, realizing that he just confirmed the okami's suspicions. He silently smacks himself as he sees Koga give him a sad smile.

"I'm not sure how you got that tunnel thing, but I would guess that it's getting worse. Right?"

Miroku stares at the demon for a few seconds before nodding and turning back to the girls, who have just drawn level with Shippo, Ginta, and Hakkaku. The trio of demons tries to block Kaede and Sango's way, standing with their arms stretched out, smiles on their faces. The women stare at the demons for several seconds, seemingly confused as to what they're doing, until it finally clicks that the boys are teasing them. Sango and Kaede exchange evil grins, after which Kilala hops down and transforms into her larger form, the tajiya readies her Hiraitkotsu, and the priestess notches an arrow. The three youkai exchange looks amongst themselves before turning tail and sprinting back toward the hut. Miroku and Koga can hear the laughing from where they stand. The monk smiles before turning back to the wolf.

"Yes," he sighs. "But I'd rather no one know about it, Koga. We've got Inuyasha to worry about; I don't want anybody worrying about me, too. I'm gonna leave to take care of this...," Miroku stops to wave his right arm slightly, "...tomorrow. Arae-Yin Nae told us where I can hopefully find the..._cure_, to this accursed Wind Tunnel, so no one needs to know that it's bothering me." Miroku intentionally leaves the fact that the void is widening out of his words, hoping that Koga won't notice. Their group had never told the wolves how Miroku had gotten it, or that the hole was slowly getting bigger and would someday take him, as well. "Hopefully I'll be back in a few days--without these beads around my arm, and we can continue our search for the jewel shards." Miroku smiles, trying to convey the message to the wolf that he needn't be concerned. The okami doesn't look convinced.

Koga continues to watch the hoshin--eyes narrowed slightly--until his fellow wolves and Shippo come panting up beside them, plopping down on the ground in front of the hut. He whispers at Miroku before joining them.

"Whatever, monk. It's none of my business. But your woman will still figure it out."

Miroku watches Koga walk forward to join the other demons. He frowns slightly. _Koga's right. If he figured it out, it won't take long before Sango does. I was going to wait til the morning, but I may leave after everyone's asleep... _The monk looks down at his hand, flexing his fingers slightly. He winces as a sharp pains shoots through his wrist and up to his elbow. His resolve set, Miroku decides to set off later that night.

He doesn't notice that a brown-eyed tajiya is watching him carefully as she approaches the miko's hut.

------------------------------

Kagome can feel Inuyasha's heart thumping very fast through her shirt. The hanyou has one arm around her shoulders, encircling her neck. Because he is holding her so securely, and the boy needs his other hand to hold onto the strap hanging from the ceiling, Kagome is holding her bag and a long, circular tube, which contains Tetsusaiga. It had taken her several minutes to explain that a sword--even a rusty one--on a bus, would attract a lot of unwanted attention. Inuyasha had finally given in, and they had found cardboard container that would normally hold a poster for the half-demon's weapon.

Dr. Morihime had discharged Inuyasha shortly after his tests had come back, telling the hanyou to rest for another day, as he still had a small hairline fracture in his wrist--which was now wrapped in an athletc bandage, instead of a cast. Otherwise, Inuyasha was fine. The pair had thanked him for his help, Kagome hugging him tearfully as they said goodbye. Inuyasha had even given the man a pat on the back, his eyes watering as he gave him a sincere 'thank-you.' Now the pair was on a bus, riding back to the Higurashi Shrine. And Inuyasha was not happy.

"How much longer is it?" he asks again, whispering in Kagome's ear. She frowns. Inuyasha is not used to being around this many people at once, and she was sure that everyone's individual scents and endless chatter were overloading his senses. Several passengers had also given him startled glances--because of his eyes. Kagome was glad that the half-demon was wearing the bandana, as it hid his ears and hair so well. She turns her head to look at him, noticing the slightly panicked look in his eyes. Kagome knows her mom will be annoyed that they'll be late, but she needs to get Inuyasha off the bus.

"Home is not for another 15 minutes, but we're getting off now," she says, noticing that the next stop is only one more block away. Kagome breaks from the hanyou's hold and hands him his sword, slinging her pack over her shoulder as she makes her way to the front of the bus. A minute later the couple is on the sidewalk, watching the bus pull away.

"Why did we get off if we weren't there yet?" Inuyasha asks, grabbing Kagome's hand with his and propping the cylinder over his other shoulder as they walk. The girl sighs.

"Because you were uncomfortable, Inuyasha," she replies, receiving a surprised look from the hanyou. "I could tell that having that many people around made you nervous."

Inuyasha stares at her for a minute before he speaks. "I could've dealt with it. I need to get used to lots of people anyway--since I'm gonna be living here soon," he says, smiling a little. Kagome doesn't smile back--she simply looks at him with a dejected expression. The half-demon stops walking and scrutinizes her for several minutes, making the girl finally blush and look away. "Stop it," he says finally, pulling the girl into a walk again, an irritated grimace on his face.

"Stop wh...?"

"You know what I mean."

"No, I do..."

"Yes, you do. I made a promise, and I'm going to keep it."

"But..."

"No, Kagome," Inuyasha says, stopping again to look back at his fiance. She has a sad frown on her face. "You've missed out on too much of your life already, spending that much time in Sengoku Jidai. You need to continue your life here, and if that means I have to get used to new things...," he says, eyeing a motorcycle speeding by with unease, "...then...I'll deal with them." Inuyasha smiles. "To be with you," he finishes softly, pulling Kagome closer so he can kiss her forehead. The girl sobs a few times as she hugs the hanyou, burying her face in his t-shirt.

"Thank-you, Inuyasha," she whispers. _That's the sweetest thing you've ever said..._

---------------------------------------------

Miroku is walking along the river that runs behind Kaede's village, staring at his right hand. The crescent of moon hanging above him reflects off the water, illuminating his path toward the distant mountain--only its base visible at this late hour. He sighs.

Miroku had waited until everyone had fallen asleep, then silently snuck outside to wait another hour. He wanted to make absolutely sure no one would follow him. When he hadn't heard any noises from the two women and the small demons, the hoshin had gathered a few days' worth of supplies and set out, stopping at the edge of the village again to see if anyone had noticed his absence. The wolves went into the forest at night--more comfortable under the trees than in a hut. Miroku had been able to avoid them altogether, for which he was thankful. Koga was like Inuyasha--he would have heard him in an instant.

Now the monk was slowly working his way between small trees and bushes growing along the riverbank, having left the farmland surrounding the village a few hours ago. He was avoiding the road for the time being--only thieves and hungry demons would be out at this time of night.

_Well...I'm not a demon..._ the hoshin thinks, smiling a little to himself. He freezes as he hears a twig snap in the bushes in front of him, instantly tightening his fingers around his staff. _Idiot! You loose your concentration for three seconds and..._

"Kilala?" Miroku says, staring in surprise at the two-tailed nekomata that has just appeared before him. The cat is in her large form, silent flames flickering gently around her paws and tail. She purrs loudly and licks Miroku's hand before sitting down. The monk starts as a voice echoes out of the darkness.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Sango says, stepping up behind the giant feline, her Hiraikotsu slung over her shoulder. She glares at the monk.

"Uh...," Miroku stutters, his cheeks reddening. He doesn't say anything else until Sango speaks again.

"Well?" she asks, taking a step toward him.

The hoshin stares at her for a few more seconds before he mumbles 'nowhere,' and tries to pass the tajiya. Sango blocks his way with her weapon.

"Nowhere? You're three hours from Kaede's and you're going 'nowhere,' Miroku?" The monk doesn't look at her, focusing instead on the mountain in the distance. Sango turns her head to see what he's looking at, a small growl escaping her throat as she turns back to him.

"You're going to see the Canthathirls, aren't you?" Sango says, glaring at him again. The monk doesn't answer. The slayer narrows her eyes and brings her free hand up to his chin, forcing Miroku to look at her. "Why?" she asks quietly. "Why are you going by yourself?"

The hoshin stares into the tajiya's cinnamon eyes, silently confirming what she already knows. Sango's face pales before she speaks again, her voice shaky. "How long?"

The monk bows his head, savoring the warmth from the slayer's hand, which is now resting on his cheek. It takes him several minutes to answer. "A month," he whispers, "...at the most. Less if I have to use it."

Sango gasps audibly, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth. She stares at him, half her face covered, her eyes wide. After several tense minutes, she speaks, her voice only a whisper. "Let's go then," she says, turning around and walking past Kilala., who joins her mistress.

Miroku gawks at her retreating form, finally snapping out of his astonishment to hurry after the slayer. He'd thought she'd be upset, not...determined. "What? Wh...aren't you worried, Sango?" he asks, a faint plea reflected in his tone. The tajiya stops and turns back to the monk.

"Of course I'm worried," she says, waiting for him to catch up. Sango pulls him into a hug, making the hoshin gasp at the sudden intimacy. "I love you, Miroku." She leans back to look into the monk's eyes, water from the river shimmering in their dark depths. "But we don't have time for that right now. If the Wind Tunnel's enlarging so much that you don't want to wait for Inuyasha to come back, then we need to go ahead and head off without him and Kagome. They can catch up," she says, letting go and turning to walk away again. Miroku grabs her arm.

"Sango...you and Kagome weren't supposed to come--remember? Go back to Kaede's; I'll be fine by my...," the monk tries to say, stopping mid-sentence when he sees the glare he's getting from his fiancé.

"I'm not letting you go by yourself," Sango says heatedly. "You could get injured and never make it to the Canthathirls; they might be too much for you to handle alone-even if it's just the one...; you might not even find them at all. In that case...," the tajiya breaks off, her words catching in her throat. Sango shakes her head, turning away as tears slide down her cheeks. Miroku pulls her into another hug, silently comforting the girl in his arms. When her tears subside, Sango lifts her head, placing a tender kiss on the monk's lips. He smiles, holding the tajiya closer.

"What about the demons, though? You aren't scared that they'll..." Miroku asks, his voice betraying his worry.

Sango grins wickedly. "I won't let _you_ touch me, Miroku. What do you think I'll do to any demons that try?" The monk raises his brows, eliciting a laugh out of the slayer. She leans in to kiss him again, leaving a flushed and speechless hoshin behind her when she pulls away. "Come on, Miroku--let's find somewhere to camp tonight. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day," Sango says, leading him away from the river.

A minute later, a resounding _SLAP!_ is heard through the darkness, immediately followed by a very loud, "MIROKU!"

--------------------------------------------

"I can't _believe_ your mom did that," Inuyasha says for the umpteenth time. He's laying on the floor in Kagome's room, staring up at the girl on the bed. She's on her stomach, dangling one hand over the edge, playing with the half-demon's short hair. She smiles.

"Now you know what you're getting into," she replies, tracing her fingers along his jawline and up to his lips. Inuyasha kisses the tips of each finger as they come into range. Kagome giggles. "I told you my family liked you."

Inuyasha grunts. "_Like_. I think they like me more than you do, Kagome." The girl giggles again.

She had been right; her mother did have something planned for Inuyasha when they got home. Nozomi had cooked all morning, making anything and everything she thought Inuyasha would like, including a cake. She had gotten Sota to make a banner reading: "Welcome Home, Inuyasha!" in large, colorful letters, and had hung it across the living room so the half-demon would see it when they came in. Kagome's Gramps had been assigned decorations, so--in addition to the banner--there were balloons, streamers, and confetti strewn about the house. Kagome had to stick her fingers in mouth to keep from laughing when she saw the look on the hanyou's face. It was priceless.

For his part, Inuyasha took all the attention fairly well. He had tried to stay close to Kagome, but Nozomi, Sota, and Kagome's grandfather kept taking it in turns to hug the hanyou, saying how glad they were that he was okay, and how worried they had been when he showed up injured. The trio had finally settled down when Nozomi had said lunch was ready, giving the half-demon time to breathe while everyone was eating. It didn't last long.

They had barely finished lunch when Kagome's friends from school showed up, including Hojo. Yuka, Ayumi, and Eri had immediately cornered the young miko and demanded to know what was going on--why was that _boy_ here and why wasn't she at school today. Kagome had lied and said that Inuyasha was visiting and had a small accident, so he had to go to the hospital. Her friends had spoken in a whisper, but Kagome virtually yelled her answer across the room, ensuring that everyone heard what she said. Her family and Inuyasha picked up the hint, and defaulted to that story whenever one of the others asked any questions.

The hanyou had used all his self-control not to throw the other boy out on his ass when he saw the gift Hojo had brought Kagome, since she was still 'sick,' as far as he knew. Coincidentally, the small ruby bottle contained an herb that was supposed to help with headaches, which Kagome found so ironically funny that she had to leave the room for several minutes. Inuyasha had followed her, leaving her friends to the girl's family. In exchange for having to be polite, the hanyou had backed Kagome into a corner and proceeded to give his fiancé a hickey, strategically located on the back of her neck so her long hair could hide it. She hadn't objected. Now it was late evening and the pair was in Kagome's room, discussing the 'party' before they went to sleep. They would be going back to the Feudal Era in the morning.

"They don't have to put up with you every day," Kagome says, breaking into a wide grin when she sees the scowl Inuyasha is giving her.

"Ha, ha," the hanyou replies, crossing his arms and looking away from the girl. Kagome brings her hand up to rub one of his ears, a gleam of triumph crossing her face when the boy turns back to her, his eyes closed.

"_Everytime_," she whispers, smiling when she sees Inuyasha's lips twitch.

"I heard that," he says, grabbing Kagome's arm and pulling the girl off the bed and onto his chest. The miko sighs, kissing him lightly before she wraps her arms around the boy. She lets a low growl escape her throat, smiling to herself when she hears the half-demon answer with his own. Kagome falls asleep to the comforting rumble coming from beneath her.

--------------------------------------------

"How much farther, do you think?" Sango asks. She and Kilala are trailing Miroku up the side of the mountain. It's late afternoon of the third day she and the monk had been traveling, and they had just noticed that the trees growing along their path were starting to thin out. The trip from the river to the base of the mountain had been mostly uneventful --though it had taken longer than they expected.

Sango and Miroku had spent most of the time riding Kilala, and had therefore avoided skirmishes with petty demons or dishonest humans. The pair would walk every few hours, letting the nekomata ride on the slayer's shoulder to rest, while the humans discussed possible strategies against the scavenger demons.

The only exception to this happened on the second night of their journey, when they had stayed at an inn, located in a village close by the river. Miroku had_...persuaded_ the owner to grant them rooms in exchange for ridding the building of a restless spirit that was scaring off the man's customers. The 'spirit' turned out to be some sort of bug-youkai; Sango thought it was a juvenile Mantis demon, but couldn't be sure.

At any rate, there turned out to be a whole nest of them underneath the inn; they were going to take over the village and use the inhabitants as nourishment when they matured in a few weeks. The slayer and the monk decided to rid the village of them after the first one was discovered; the pair lost count of how many they had defeated before Miroku gave in and used his Wind Tunnel. The village was safe, they had rooms for the night, and--surprisingly-- the demon that had originally caused all the trouble had held a jewel shard in it's forehead. But neither human was smiling as they fell asleep. Miroku guessed he had lost a week by choosing to open his _Kazaana_ that night. They hadn't spoken about it since.

"I don't think very much farther. The trees are thinning out, so we should be close to where Arae-Yin Nae was talking about," Miroku says, huffing the last few feet to a break in the trees. He stops, taking in the view around him.

Straight ahead of him is the top of the mountain, the peak covered in snow and mist. To his left and behind the monk is a wide, green valley, dotted by Arae-Yin Nae's rocky cliff, the smaller mountain near Kaede's, farmlands, and forests. The hoshin can just see a faint shimer on the horizon and more mountains in the distance. On his right the forest continues, winding around the side of the mountain.

"It's pretty up here," Sango says, as she and Kilala stop to catch their breath beside the monk. The air here was getting thinner; they would have to go slower than they had previously. Miroku smiles at her before nodding.

The couple and the demon-cat are admiring the great orange disk that is highlighting the valley before them as it dips below the horizon, and don't notice the presence behind them until it speaks.

"Well...what have we here...?" a raspy voice says. A hissing sound follows this question.

Sango and Miroku are instantly alert; Kilala is growling. They quickly turn to see a muddy-brown creature floating about five feet off the ground, it's huge, olive-green eyes trained on the slayer. The demon is about two feet long, and looks similar to an eel, with almost see-through 'fins' sticking out just behind it's head, and a 'tail' that looks the same. The face is wider, though, and it's showing several very sharp fangs. As they watch, the creature floats sideways a little, moving in a way that reminds Miroku of a snake or a worm; it seems to be able to control the air like Kagura did with her fan. It grins at them, then looks past the couple, who hear another hissing sound. Miroku, Sango, and Kilala turn back to the valley they had been looking on before. All three gasp.

The trio is surrounded by no less than six Canthathirls.

----------------------------------------

"Ready to go?"

"Yep. Just let me say 'bye' to everyone," Kagome says, skipping back into the kitchen to hug her family. She tells her mom that 'yes,' she will be careful, and that she and Inuyasha will hopefully be back in a few weeks, but, as usual, she couldn't be sure. Inuyasha hears the girl coming back out, followed closely by her mother.

"Take care, you two," she says, hugging the half-demon tightly before waving goodbye. Sota and Kagome's Gramps join her a few seconds later, all three smiling goofily as Kagome and Inuyasha walk into the wellhouse. Inuyasha sighs.

"I like your family, Kagome, but they sure do hug a lot," he says, earning a quiet laugh from the miko as the pair jumps in the well and is transported back to Sengoku Jidai.

"I guess you'll just have to get used..."

"LOOK OUT!"

The hanyou and the priestess cover their heads as dirt and rocks rain down on them inside the well. They look up, their faces paling as they hear a high-pitched scream.

* * *

Hrmm?? I think I write this at the end of all my chaps...oh, well. Ok-must go to bed now--gotta work tomorrow... 


	15. Meet the Canthathirls

Here's #15 guys. Sorry it took so long. I was having trouble figuring out what to put in. You'll probably be mad at the end. (Grins wickedly.) I'll try to update faster next time, cuz I think you're gonna want me to. :) Dozo!

* * *

"I think that was Shippo," Kagome says shakily as she and the half-demon stand back up.

"Uh-uh. It was Kaede," Inuyasha growls, grabbing the girl around the waist and jumping upward. He briefly lands on the edge of the well, hearing an alarmed '_Kaede?_' from Kagome before he jumps again. The miko yells as she sees a brown blur slam into the side of the well, making that side crumble.

"KOGA!"

Inuyasha lands beside the wolf and sets Kagome down gently before turning to the demon, who is looking up at the hanyou with a barely suppressed grin, despite the injuries on his body.

"What happened to you?" the okami asks, obviously trying not to laugh. Inuyasha glares at him.

"I could say the same about you. I thought you were supposed to be a demon?" Inuyasha smirks, noticing the cuts and bruises on the wolf. Koga glowers at the hanyou.

"Stop it, you two," Kagome interrupts, kneeling beside the okami. "Are you okay, Koga?"

He nods and takes one of her hands, a devilish smile on his face. "You're always worried about me, Kagome. Sure you want to stay with this mutt?" Koga asks, kissing the back of her hand.

Inuyasha pulls the girl away before she has a chance to respond. "Kagome's mine. Keep you're hands off, wolf," he growls, not noticing the annoyed expression crossing his fiancé's face.

Kagome is about to tell Inuyasha not to be so possessive, when something catches her eye and she gasps instead. The hanyou immediately grabs both her and Koga--ignoring the wolf-demon's protests--dodging the incoming attack and narrowly avoiding the ..._thing..._ that destroys half the well. The boy sprints across the clearing and stops next to Shippo, who is hovering over Kaede.

The priestess has a huge gash on her left arm and another across her chest and stomach. She's lying on the ground--gasping to try and catch her breath--a sickly purple color taking over the skin around her wounds. A crying Shippo is holding her head; the kitsune isn't injured, just very scared. He notices Kagome and starts to sob harder.

"Kagome! I'm so glad you're back! I didn't know what we were going to do!" he wails. The girl removes her pack and kneels beside the old miko, her face paling as she looks at the injuries.

_I don't have anything that can heal this...it's too bad..._ Kagome catches the older woman's eye and tries to smile, but she can tell the miko can see right through her. The girl bites back her tears as she hears Inuyasha and Koga growl behind her. She turns in time to see the half-demon draw his sword and deflect another attack, the rest of them covering their heads as blood and pieces of ..._leg?_... fall around them.

"Let's take care of these demons, mutt!" Koga yells, running toward them as if he had been the one who just blocked an attack.

Inuyasha stares after the wolf for a few seconds before growling and chasing the okami, yelling a "Come back here!" as he goes.

"What happened?" Kagome asks, turning to Shippo. "Where is everyone?"

The kitsune gulps and wipes his sleeve across his face. "We...the demons...were gonna attack the village. Koga and Kaede were trying to keep them in the forest," the kitsune says, looking up at the two giants kumos dancing around the clearing. Kagome follows his gaze and struggles to keep her breakfast down.

The spiders aren't as big as Naraku was when he was in that form, but they're still large enough to cause a decent amount of trouble. Inuyasha and Koga have each taken one of the demons, and are battling against the legs flailing around them. The young miko tries to follow the attacks that are flying back and forth, but quickly gets a headache because of how fast everything is moving. She's about to turn back to Kaede when Inuyasha releases his sword's attack.

"WIND SCAR!"

Five large blades of yellow light fly away from the half-demon and knock the spider backwards--right into it's fellow kumo. Koga narrowly dodges out of the way, yelling a "Watch it, fleabag!" as he goes skidding across the ground, dirt flying up around him.

Inuyasha smirks as the wolf darts after the two youkai, jumping over the pair struggling to right themselves, and bringing his fist down on top of the demons. A huge dust cloud envelopes them, after which Kagome sees the okami run out and head back over to Inuyasha.

Kagome finally turns to the elder priestess and feels her breath catch as she notices the woman getting paler. She is praying to Kami that she can find some way to save the kindly miko, when the girl hears Inuyasha release his _Wind Scar_ again. Kagome's mind wanders to the arrows she had infused with the sword's attack, and she silently wonders if Arae-Yin Nae had known any healing spells.

As if in answer to her question, Kagome feels her palms heat up as a blue light begins to surround them. The miko places them over Kaede and focuses her attention on the elder's wounds as an unknown string of words flows through her mind.

_Naosu kono karada..._

Kagome hears the small demon and the miko gasp as they see what she's doing. She can distantly hear the sounds of battle continuing behind her, but quickly blocks them out as the spell starts to draw more of her power. The girl can feel her palms and brow beginning to sweat and idly wonders if she's gone too far, as she's starting to struggle to keep the spell going.

After several minutes, the girl hears another gasp and a growl from behind her, and knows that the latter is her fiancé. Kagome continues to concentrate on the spell as her power drains, praying that Kaede will be healed quickly, as the miko doesn't know how much longer she can keep this up. As if in answer to her silent query--again--Kagome suddenly feels the drain on her body stop, and she slowly closes her hands into fists.

The young priestess closes her eyes as exhaustion takes over and she collapses onto her side, Inuyasha catching her before she hits the ground. He hisses in Kagome's ear as he cradles the girl in his lap.

"Stupid! What the hell were you doing!? Arae-Yin Nae said not to use your powers!"

Kagome smiles. She can hear the worry in his voice. "Sorry...," she mumbles, "...I didn't see any other way..."

The girl opens her eyes slowly to see Shippo helping Kaede sit up and bring one hand to her chest--surprise written across both of their faces. Kagome smiles again before blacking out.

------------------

"What the hell was she thinking?! She could've killed herself!"

Kagome tightens her hold on Inuyasha's haori. "I'm fine. I just need to rest," she mutters, making the hanyou jump at her sudden speech. She snuggles deeper against his chest, trying to steal as much warmth as she can. The girl was freezing.

Inuyasha growls and then sighs, wrapping his arms around Kagome when he feels her shivering. He shakes his head and looks up at the priestess sitting on the other side of the fire. The half-demon's eyes skim over the two demons sitting opposite, ignoring the one who is giving him jealous glares.

Kaede smiles at the anxious hanyou and the young miko sitting in his lap. She notices the girl trembling and stands to retrieve a blanket, throwing it over the couple. Inuyasha nods at her as she settles down again.

"I believe she thought it was the only way," the miko says. "I was gravely injured, and Kagome knew none of her medicines could help me."

"That's right...," said girl mumbles, nodding to no one in particular, her eyes closed. Everyone stares at her, except for Inuyasha, who growls.

"But, Kagome. Arae-Yin Nae told you not to use your powers; you don't know how to control them yet...," the hanyou says. He removes one hand from the girl to run it through his short hair, and notices that Shippo is now standing beside him, confusion and relief on the young kitsune's face. "What?" he asks, trying to be as polite as he can, because the demon looks to be close to tears.

Shippo stands where he is for a few more minutes before he sobs once--loudly--and jumps to Inuyasha's shoulder, wrapping his small arms tightly around the other boy's neck. "I'm glad you're ok, Inuyasha," he whispers.

The hanyou freezes for a moment before tentatively patting the small youkai on the back, wondering when he got to be so soft. _It's all Kagome's fault...nobody ever hugged me before she came along..._ he thinks. Inuyasha pauses a moment to ponder this some more, deciding that he's glad of the effect the girl's had on him. He almost changes his mind when he hears Kagome giggling softly.

"What happened to your hair?" Shippo asks as he hops to the ground and walks back over to sit next to Kaede. Inuyasha notices Koga smirking again, while Kaede simply stares at him, waiting for an answer.

"Had to cut it, obviously," the half-demon says bluntly. The others keep staring at him. Inuyasha sighs. "Kagome's doctors had to cut my hair off so they could get at my head."

"Your head?" Koga asks, one brow raised.

"They had to cut into his skull," Kagome mumbles, oblivous to the shocked expressions everyone is giving the half-demon.

"Cut...into...?" the kitsune says. The young demon looks as if he's about to faint. Kagome notices the alarm in his voice and lifts her head to look at him, a small grin crossing her lips as she sees the worried looks on the trio's faces.

"It's not a big deal, really. People have their bodies opened up all the time, though it's not usually their head." The miko turns in Inuyasha's lap so that she's leaning back against him, and watches the others sitting around the fire.

"Your doctors, child; they did this on purpose?" Kaede asks, confusion and curiousity on her face.

The elder woman idly rubs her arm, which Kagome hadn't been able to heal, as she was too worried about the fatal wound to the other miko's chest. Shippo and Koga had taken care of it when the group returned to Kaede's hut. The wound was deep, but not life-threatening, though the priestess wouldn't be able to use her arm for a long while.

Kagome smiles. "Yes. We have ways to see inside a person, and the doctors know a lot more about how the body works than this time does. Sometimes the only way to fix a problem is by cutting into it," she mumbles, pulling the blanket up to her chin and finding Inuyasha's hand with her own. She twines their fingers together before looking around the room, frowning. "Where are the others? Shouldn't they have been fighting the spiders, too?"

Shippo and Kaede exchange worried looks, while Koga's expression looks strained.

"We...don't know where Sango, Miroku, and Kilala went," Shippo whispers, tears threatening to form in his emerald eyes. "When we woke up this morning, they were gone."

"I sent Hakkaku and Ginta after them, but they must have left sometime last night, as the monk's scent was old," Koga offers. Inuyasha notices the strange look on the okami's face, but doesn't mention it--yet. The wolf continues. "Sango had to have ridden Kilala, because we couldn't find either of their's around here. Miroku's was headed away from the village, but I doubt we'll find out where they went. The slayer's sure to have caught up to him by now," the wolf mumbles, leaning back against the hut with his eyes closed.

"You know why they went--don't you, Koga?" Inuyasha asks. Kagome turns to the hanyou, confused.

"What do you mean 'why'? Shouldn't it be 'where'?" she asks, frowning at the boy. Inuyasha shifts his gaze from the okami to the miko, the fire reflecting in his golden eyes as he waits for her to catch on. Kagome suddenly gasps. "He...they...went after the Canthathirls?" she asks, turning back to Koga. The girl notices both Shippo and Kaede are also looking in the wolf's direction.

Koga sighs. "The monk said that his arm was getting worse," he mumbles. The wolf opens his eyes, seeing horrified expressions on Kagome, Shippo, and Kaede's faces, and a grimace on Inuyasha's. "I told him Sango would figure out what was wrong, but Miroku seemed determined to take care of the problem by himself. He was supposed to leave this morning."

The other four in the small hut sit in silence as they digest the okami's words. Shippo is the first to speak.

"He...Miroku wouldn't go unless...unless...," he mumbles, trying to hold back his tears.

Kagome is trying to still her racing heart when she feels Inuyasha slide his fingers from hers and lean her forward so that he can stand. The girl's face immediately hardens. "You're not going by yourself," she says, turning to look at the hanyou behind her. The others all stare at her--lost. They hadn't felt the half-demon's movements.

Inuyasha looks down at her, his mouth set in a line. "Yes, I am," he whispers, making an attempt to remove the girl from his lap. Kagome grabs a fistful of his haori and glares at her fiancé.

"No, you're not," she says, her voice deadly. Inuyasha bares his fangs slightly and lets a deep rumble escape his throat. Kagome lips twitch. "You know that you're not gonna scare me," she mouths silently. She doesn't want the others to hear her response to the half-demon's idle threat. Inuyasha narrows his gaze, his lips widening. "Don't make me do it," the girl mouths again, her eyes flitting briefly up to the boy's ears. She brings her eyes back to the hanyou's to see that they've widened slightly.

"You wouldn't dare," he growls, glancing quickly over her head at the other three. They're all staring at the pair in the midst of a lover's spat, their eyes wide. Inuyasha fights to hide the inappropriate laugh threatening to escape his throat. For the first time, Koga seems to be glad of the fact that Kagome isn't his. He looks back at the girl, her face still determined.

"Yes, I would," she murmurs, bringing her other arm out from under the blanket and raising it slightly, a mischeivous smirk on her face.

Inuyasha waits until her hand is level with his throat before he grabs it with his own and glares at the girl, who is now smiling triumphantly. "Wench," he whispers, putting the girl's hand on his chest while he continues to growl.

"Yeah, yeah," she says, wrapping her other arm around the half-demon's middle and hugging him tightly, laying her head against him. Inuyasha sighs and looks over at the trio still giving them wary glances. He gives a defeated look to Kaede, signaling that it's okay for them to talk now. The miko nods.

"I assume that you three will be leaving soon?" she asks, looking down at Shippo.

The kitsune nods and turns to the pair in the corner. "Right Inuyasha?" he asks. The hanyou nods and turns to the okami, who is staring at them silently.

"Koga. Stay with Kaede until she's healed, or we return. Please," Inuyasha says grudgingly, adding the 'please' at the last second, when he sees the wolf's eyes narrow at the order he's being given. The demon holds his glare for a few more seconds before grinning widely.

"Sure. I would've let her touch them, though," he says, standing and leaving the hut. Koga smirks as he hears the hanyou growl loudly, only just covering the giggles from the young miko.

--------------------

"That stupid, flea-bitten, mangy wolf," Inuyasha growls. Kagome and Shippo are on his back, the wind whipping all three's hair around their faces as the hanyou runs. The miko sighs. It had only been a few days, but she had forgotten how nice it felt to be traveling like this.

The trio had only just left Kaede's village, because Kagome needed to rest a bit more, and wanted to ask the elder priestess about her powers; it had taken longer than they expected.

Inuyasha, Shippo, and Koga had amused themselves by rebuilding the side of the well that had been destroyed by the kumos. The two elder demons had returned with minor scrapes and bruises, which Kagome had promptly reprimanded them for before healing.

Inuyasha had almost gotten angry before Kagome had explained that Kaede had shown her how to control the three spells she had used so far, plus a few others that the mikos thought might come in handy. The elder priestess had also shown the girl how not to let a spell take over; she would show Kagome more once the group had returned.

"It's your own fault; you shouldn't let Koga goad you into a fight," Kagome replies, clenching her arms around his neck in a brief hug. Inuyasha snorts. He and the wolf had been at it again before they left, this time arguing over who could make it to the mountain faster. Kagome smiles. "I think it's because you two are so much alike." The girl feels a rumble from beneath her.

"That's not funny," the hanyou growls as he sprints across a river by jumping several small boulders.

"I don't think she was making a joke, Inuyasha," Shippo says, standing up on Kagome's shoulders to look ahead of them. "You two are more alike than you think."

The hanyou snorts again before giving the conversation up as lost and concentrating on his running, farmland and marshes passing swiftly in the evening sun. He closes his eyes briefly as he leaps back across the river they had traversed a few minutes before. _Kami...this feels good..._ he thinks, relishing in the air rushing past his face. Kagome's voice interrupts his thoughts.

"You aren't going to push yourself too hard--right Inuyasha? Even though you're half-demon, you did just have brain surgery a few days ago."

Inuyasha frowns. He felt restless right now; he wanted to run--or fight--to work off some of the energy he'd built up sitting around for three days. That was part of the reason he'd let Koga get to him. Kagome speaks again when the hanyou doesn't answer.

"You know we're not gonna catch up to them in one day. It'll be tomorrow night, at the earliest, since they're probably flying on Kilala. Can you run non-stop tomorrow after doing it all night?" she asks, knowing full-well what the answer is.

Inuyasha frowns again. Kagome was right. The half-demon had much more stamina than humans did, but there was no way he could keep up this pace for a full day, plus, Inuyasha didn't want to leave Kagome and Shippo unprotected if he should fall asleep from exhaustion. It would be better to rest after a few hours and sleep lightly tonight, then keep up a moderate speed tomorrow instead flying like he was now. Inuyasha sighs reluctantly.

"Fine. I'll keep going til it's almost dark, then we can camp. Happy?" he asks, turning slightly to look at the girl on his back.

Kagome leans down and kisses him lightly on the cheek. "Yes. You always make me happy, Inuyasha," she says, laughing at the blush coming onto the boy's cheeks.

------------------------

Kagome is staring into the fire, slowly running her hands through Shippo's hair as the young fox sleeps. The girl is lying on her sleeping bag, the kitsune in front of her. Inuyasha is leaning against a tree a few feet away, his eyes closed. But Kagome knows he isn't asleep.

The miko slowly removes herself from the small demon, making sure he doesn't wake up as she tucks the covers back around him. Shippo turns over and mumbles something about 'candy' as he snuggles back under the edge of the bag. Kagome smiles and grabs a blanket from her pack before quietly walking over to Inuyasha, who is watching her silently.

"You didn't think I was going to give up our sleeping arrangement so easily, did you?" she whispers before settling herself down in the half-demon's lap. Inuyasha smiles.

"I had hoped not," he responds, staring into the girl's dark eyes as she looks up at him.

Kagome leans forward and captures the half-demon's lips with her own, caressing them softly as the pair closes their eyes. Inuyasha wraps his arms around her and pulls the girl closer as she brings her hands up to cup the boy's face, her thumbs tracing the outline of his cheekbones. She smiles as a soft purring noise starts to vibrate in Inuyasha's throat. Kissing him gently a few more times, the miko slowly pulls away and trails more kisses down his neck to the collar of his haori. Kagome stops there and breathes deeply a few times before resting her head against the hanyou and wrapping her arms around him. She feels the boy kiss the top of her head before mumbling a soft _I love you. _Kagome smiles.

"I love you, too, Inuyasha."

---------------------------

"Wake up, Kagome."

The girl slowly opens her eyes to see bright green ones staring back at her. She blinks a few times before Shippo's smiling face comes into view.

"Wha...," she mumbles, sitting up and yawning. She looks down at the grinning fox, frowning as she realizes where she is. The girl's face goes scarlet as she turns around to face the hanyou, who is wearing an identical expression and shade of red. The boy's arms are still holding the girl close.

"He woke up early," Inuyasha mumbles. "I figured I might as well let you sleep, rather than wake you up and still be found out." Kagome slowly closes her eyes and sighs.

Today was the third day the trio had been traveling. Inuyasha had kept up a moderate pace for most of the day before, covering three-quarters of the distance to the mountain. Kagome had insisted that they walk for a few hours in the evening, so that the hanyou wouldn't wear himself out for the battles ahead. They hadn't run into the hoshin, tajiya, or nekomata, but Inuyasha said he could sense that the others had passed by recently. They had stopped the night before as dusk fell, mounting a small hill to see a village in the distance. Shippo suggested that they could ask the villagers about their friends in the morning, and the miko and the half-demon agreed.

The morning before, Inuyasha had woken Kagome up as Shippo started to stir, so that the young demon wouldn't see them together. The pair still hadn't decided what they wanted to do regarding sleeping arrangements. The miko had settled in the half-demon's lap--after Shippo fell asleep--once they had settled the second night. The girl had made him go to sleep, saying she'd wake him up in a few hours or if she heard anything, since she could sleep while he ran the next day. Inuyasha had finally relented and slept soundly for most of the night, Kagome held tightly in his arms. He had woken on his own shortly before dawn, his anger at the girl for letting him sleep for so long dissipating as she leaned against him, a contented grin on her face. Shippo had woken up soon after that, a Miroku-ish smirk crossing his young features as he noticed the pair. Inuyasha had had to deal with the kitsune until dawn, when he decided to wake the miko.

Kagome opens her eyes and looks at the very embarrassed hanyou before her. Her sleep-deprived mind feels rebellious, and besides, who cared what the others thought about them sleeping together? She and Inuyasha were happy, so what did it matter?

The girl smiles at her fiancé as she leans forward and kisses him. Inuyasha looks surprised. Kagome pulls away before turning to the fox and giving him a sleepy 'Good Morning.' She then stands, stretches, and begins packing her stuff away as if this was any other day. The two demons exchange befuddled looks.

"Uh...Kagome?" Shippo asks tentatively.

"Yes, Shippo?"

The two demons exchange another look. "Uh...don't you, uh...have anything to say?" the kitsune asks. He's staring at Kagome with narrowed eyes, as if he's afraid she's been possessed. The girl turns from the sleeping bag she had been rolling up and looks at the demon.

"No," she says cheerily, returning to the bag and starting to hum to herself.

Shippo turns to Inuyasha, who is staring at the miko with blatant surprise written across his face. He relaxes after a moment and shakes his head, chuckling quietly to himself. The hanyou looks down at the fox--smiling--before he shrugs and stands. The young kitsune sits in utter bewilderment before he, too, gets ready to leave.

------------------------

"They left this mornin'. Must've been dark, still. I said we could giv'em breakfast, too, see'ins how they helped us out last night, but I guess they decided they wanted to get started early. You friends o' theirs, or sumthin?"

Kagome nods. "Yes. We were separated a few days ago. Do you know what direction they were headed in?" she asks, giving the elderly man a sweet smile. The villager looks a little flustered as he responds, his cheeks pink.

"Straight up the mountain." The man points over his shoulder. Kagome looks past him to see the base of the Canthathirl's mountain, shrouded in blue fog. The top is hidden by sun-illuminated clouds. She looks back at the old man. "That's where they said they were goin', at any rate. I told 'em there was nothin' up there, but the monk insisted." He shrugs.

Kagome frowns a little before smiling at the man again. "Thanks very much. Hopefully we can catch up to them soon." The villager nods his head before continuing on his way, his pick slung over his shoulder. The miko watches the man turn a corner before turning to Inuyasha and Shippo, who are standing a few feet behind her.

"He's lying," the hanyou says, a scowl on his face. "He knows there's something up there, he just doesn't know what."

Kagome nods before climbing onto Inuyasha's back. The half-demon skirts around the edge of the village and heads for the mountain. The miko was starting to have a bad feeling. She tries to shrug it off, but the closer they got to the mountain, the worse it got. Alternately, the girl was also starting to feel anxious, but it had nothing to do with the bad feeling.

_Is this what Arae-Yin Nae meant? Am I feeling what she would feel--if she were here? _

Kagome yawns and decides that it's too complicated a question to answer right now. She makes a mental note to think more about it later, before laying her head on Inuyasha's shoulder and closing her eyes.

---------------------------

_Shit..._

"Miroku..."

"I know," the monk whispers, turning his back to Sango as she and Kilala do the same.

The trio is surrounded by six Canthathirls, and they can see two more heading in their direction. At least half of them are staring at Sango, hungry glimmers in their eyes.

"We should have waited," she says, glaring at the demons floating a few feet away.

"Too late now," the monk mumbles. He turns his head slightly toward the slayer, an amused grin on his face. "We just need one, though." Sango returns the smile.

"Then what are we standing around for?" she asks, hefting and throwing her weapon in a single, fluid movement.

"HIRAIKOTSU!"

The demons directly in the path of the tajiya's weapon let out yelps of surprise as it hits them, knocking three of the Canthathirls away toward the pair still heading in their direction. Miroku and Sango watch with surprise and horror as the two distant demons stop their approach, grin, and _phase_ through the hiraikotsu and three youkai. Miroku is the first to recover.

"What the hell?!" he yells, raising his staff and bringing it down on the closest Canthathirl. Correction. _Through_ the nearest Canthathirl.

The monk stares in astonisment before attempting to hit the demon again. The youkai bares its teeth as the staff goes right through it, then lunges for the hoshin and sinks it's fangs into his shoulder.

"Aaaarrrgggghhhhh!!!"

"Miroku!" Sango yells, turning to the monk as her weapon returns. The boy is clutching his right arm as blood slowly soaks into the sleeve of his robe.

"I think Arae-Yin Nae forgot to tell us something," she says, swinging her weapon at the Canthathirls blocking her path to the monk. Kilala is also attacking any demon that comes near her or her mistress, to no avail. Anytime her teeth or claws get close, the demons simply fade out for a few seconds before returning.

"We will take the girl, now," the closest Canthathirl says, floating over to the tajiya. Sango glares at the demon and swings her weapon, but the youkai simply smiles as it passes harmlessly through. He doesn't see the arrow coming his way.

The Canthathirl's face shows shock as Kagome's Sacred Arrow connects, and the demon explodes into hundreds of pieces. Sango stares at the spot it had occupied before turning in the direction the arrow had come from.

"You have to surprise them!" Inuyasha yells as he jumps over the tajiya's head and swings his sword at two demons that are hovering over Miroku. The Canthathirls don't notice the hanyou until it's too late; they go flying over the edge of the mountain from the force of Inuyasha's swing. Sango stares at the hanyou with wide eyes, to which he mutters a quick, "Later...," before running after another demon.

"Will you hurry and suck one up so we can get out of here!" Shippo yells suddenly, jumping out from behind some bushes. "SPINNING TOP!"

The kitsune throws his weapon at the three Canthathirls that Sango had hit earlier, as they are making their way back to the group. The weapon hits and crushes the youkai to the ground, hissing and growling as they go.

Miroku nods and stands, ignoring his wounded shoulder and glaring hatefully at a Canthathirl that comes within inches of his face. The monk is about to open his _Kazaana_ when he hears a gasp behind him and turns to see Sango and Kilala staring down the two demons Inuyasha had hit a few minutes before. He hears the half-demon hit the youkai he had just turned away from, and a high screeching noise as it flies away from the boys. He exchanges a look with Inuyasha as they both wonder the same thing.

_How did they get back so fast? _Miroku takes a step toward the tajiya before ducking as more Canthathirl pieces go flying past him and the hanyou. "Kagome! Stop purifying all the demons!" he yells, looking past his fiancé to the young miko.

Kagome glares back at him. "Sorry! I thought Arae-Yin Nae said that the only way to get rid of them was to be taken by their own Wind Tunnels?!" she yells. "I wasn't going to let those two get close to Sango!"

Miroku sighs, turning his head to see where most of the Canthathirls are grouped. He gasps. They're all gone. He and Inuyasha exchange another look as Shippo comes running up and jumps onto the half-demon's shoulder.

"Where did they go?" the kitsune asks, looking fearfully around at the others.

_This is not good..._ Kagome think to herself. The sense of forboding she'd been having is very high now. The miko was having to fight to stay focused. She takes a few steps toward the others before her eyes widen. A Canthathirl had just _appeared_ behind Sango. The boys seem to notice at the same time, and Miroku lunges for the girl.

It's too late. With a yelp of surprise, the slayer vanishes into a small vortex created by the demon, the Canthathirl following a few seconds later.

Kagome stares in horror as a prickling sensation rises on the back of her neck. She watches Inuyasha turn his head and lock his gaze with hers. The last thing the miko sees before she blacks out is fear on her hanyou's face.

* * *

Hrmmmmm???? Oh, _Naosu_ _kono_ _karada_ means: Heal this body. Uh...I think that's all. :P 


	16. More Troubles

Chap #16. I am so so so so sorry this took so long to get up. This chap actually didn't take that long; it was my other stories that got me backed up. I feel so bad, though. :( Um, there's a little bit of innuendo in this chap, which you maybe saw coming, from the last one. I tried to not make it too specific, but I thought I should warn you anyway. Um...I'm thinking about double updating the chaps, so if you review, let me know if you want a second one now, or you want to wait for it. I'm asking b/c we are almost at the end of our journey, my friends. Probably only three or four more chaps after this one, maybe five. Um...I think that's all for now. Dozo!

* * *

"What's taking so long!? We need to go NOW!" Inuyasha roars, making Kilala flatten her ears and hiss as she sits on his shoulder. The boy has stopped long enough in his pacing to yell at the kitsune, who is bandaging the monk's shoulder. Shippo sneers at him.

"Well, if you'd _help_ a little, this wouldn't take so long!" the fox snaps.

The hanyou snorts before walking over to the hoshin and roughly yanking the other boy's arm in his direction. Oddly, Miroku just glares at the hanyou--without making a sound.

"Don't be so rough, Inuyasha! Have you actually _looked_ at his injury?" Shippo asks, pointing to the salve-covered wounds in the monk's skin. The teeth marks are bruised, swollen, and red, even though Miroku was bitten less than 10 minutes ago. There are two crescent-shaped lines of cuts--one on the front, and one on the back--of Miroku's shoulder. They still haven't stopped bleeding.

Inuyasha frowns a moment before grabbing the boy's fingers and squeezing them. Miroku looks down and scowls, but makes no attempt to remove his hand. The hanyou then pokes the monk in the chest. Miroku lifts his head and frowns.

"What?" he asks.

The half-demon continues his stare for another minute before he speaks. "Give me your other hand," Inuyasha says.

Both the kitsune and the monk look at the hanyou with befuddled expressions before Miroku lifts his left hand. The hanyou holds it palm-up and stabs the center with one of his nails, drawing blood. Miroku yells and yanks his hand from the hanyou's grip.

"Oww! What the hell are you doing?!" he asks, clenching his fist together to stop the flow of blood.

Shippo looks back and forth between the older boys with confusion. "Inuyasha? What's going on?" he asks tentatively.

The hanyou curses under his breath. Then he sighs. "You've been poisoned, Miroku. Or something like it. You're slowly being paralyzed." Shippo gasps. Kilala mews. Miroku pales.

"Wh...what...how..."

"That Canthathirl's bite...," Inuyasha says, making a disgusted face. "...it's infected you somehow."

The monk simply stares, wondering what else could possibly go wrong with this mission. He eventually bows his head, his left hand on his brow.

Shippo stands up on the rock that Miroku was sitting on and looks at the half-demon, who is wearing a frown. "Wh...is...can we do anything, Inuyasha?" the fox asks.

The hanyou stares off into the distance with a vacant look before responding. "Yes. We get the girls back. Kagome will be the only one who..."

Inuyasha breaks off as he thinks about his fiancé, and the troubles they have picked up in the past few minutes. He turns back to the dark-haired boy and finishes bandaging his shoulder. Miroku looks up.

"Doesn't look good--does it?" the monk asks, trying to put on a brave smile. It fails miserably and Miroku punches his good fist into the boulder by his leg, his head bowed again.

The half-demon pulls up the sleeve of Miroku's robe and walks over to where his staff and Sango's Hiraikotsu are lying on the ground. He picks them up, then continues on to the bush where Kagome's backpack, bow, and quiver are lying. Returning with the items, he whispers to Kilala--who is still perched on his shoulder. The nekomata mews and jumps to the ground, transforming into her larger form in the process.

"Get on," Inuyasha says flatly. Miroku and Shippo comply, both too depressed at the moment to argue.

The small group heads toward the peak of the mountain, the silver-haired boy running ahead, while the demon-cat flies close behind him.

-------------------------

"Oomph!"

"Owwww!"

Sango and Kagome land face-first on a stone floor, to the sound of deep, quiet laughing. The girls slowly lift their heads and rise into kneeling positions beside one another, instinctively clasping hands as they see the group surrounding them. Sango glares angrily at the demons, while Kagome struggles to keep the horror off of her face.

The miko and the tajiya are in a large, circular room, with irregular spaces in the wall. The floor is made of smooth black-and-white stone, probably the same as the wall. The girls can't see a door at the ground level--because most of the room is hidden in shadow. There are three openings that let in sunlight, 30-40 feet up, near the top of the chamber. The sun is so low in the sky that the girls are having trouble seeing anything farther away than a few feet, though they wished the whole room was dark when they see the other occupants of the chamber.

Kagome and Sango can see that the Canthathirls are no longer in their flying form. They're now in a human-like one.

They're nothing compared to the handsome boys that the girls were just taken from, but the youkai are not exactly repulsive, either. Each of the five demons now standing around the girls is a little shorter than the miko, with light brown skin--the color of wheat--and long dark brown hair, that shimmers faintly when they move. The humanoid-Canthathirls have pointed ears, the same olive-green eyes that they had in their actual forms, and a jagged black stripe that runs around their foreheads. Each is wearing a plain black robe with see-through sleeves that comes all the way to the floor, and they're all grinning wickedly at the females before them.

_Their looks make them harder to resist..._ Kagome thinks, squeezing the tajiya's hand lightly. Sango does the same, silently telling the priestess that she knows what the other girl is thinking, and she agrees.

"I want to see them."

The five youkai all lose their smiles at the same time, slightly annoyed looks coming onto their faces instead. They all turn in the same direction, looking at something beyond the girl's range--in the shadows at the edge of the wall. A barely audible _swish_ is heard, and another demon comes into view as two of the Canthathirls move to the side.

Kagome hears the demon slayer gasp as the much older Canthathirl stops in front of them. The miko knows this because he's not the same color as the other demons. This one has light grey skin, and hair the color of a thundercloud. The mark around his head is white, as is the robe he is wearing, which has no sleeves. His eyes are such a light green that they're almost opaque. The girls can't help but stare. The Canthathirl smiles.

"Welcome."

Kagome and Sango gape, then exchange flustered looks, both thinking the exact same thing: _What the hell? _The demon kneels down in front of the girls, and whispers conspiratorily.

"I am sorry for my brethren. They are a little...shall we say..._impatient_." He smiles again when the two females continue to gawk. "You will not be..._harmed_ here. It is my hope that you will be able to live comfortably among us."

Sango fights the urge to gag. _Oh, hell no..._ The tajiya tries to remain calm as she speaks, praying that politeness will keep her and Kagome from the fate that had befallen other women.

"We...we can't. She...," the slayer says, referring to Kagome, "...and I already have... someone. We can't..." Sango stops, unable to voice the words. The demon still kneeling before her frowns slightly, then smiles again.

"You know, then, why we require your bodies. Your males do not matter anymore. The monk will be dead in a matter of hours, and the half-demon we will take care of later. They cannot reach you here, and you cannot escape. T'would be best to accept your fate now, and it will be easier on all of us."

Kagome forces her question out, as she can tell that Sango is in shock, by the amount of pressure on her hand. "D...dead?" she whispers, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Yes," the demon replies, standing. "He was bitten by Hyaku," he says, pointing to one of the other Canthathirls, who grins evilly. "Our bodies contain a paralytic, in the event that we can take live prey. He is probably losing feeling in his arm by now, and his heart will stop in a few hours. Forget him; there is nothing you can do."

The miko hears her friend's breath hitch in her throat, and sees a silent sob escape from the slayer, as a tear slide down Sango's cheek. Kagome squeezes the other girl's hand as hard as she can, and stares intently when the slayer shifts her gaze to the priestess.

_I can heal him..._ Kagome thinks, over and over--willing the tajiya to understand her serious expression. Sango furrows her brow for a few seconds before she understands, her eyes widening. The miko nods her head and turns back to the demons, as they are still talking.

"...Go-hyaku-go-ju and San-byaku-yon-ju. She did it, Sen," one of the youkai says, pointing to Kagome. The miko blinks, not having heard what she was being accused of, though she can guess.

"I see," the grey Canthathirl says slowly, staring at the young priestess. Kagome doesn't flinch. "She will have to atone for that later, then." Sen frowns. "The oldest--besides myself-- will have their go, first. If the girls take, then the next oldest, once they have had the _akanbo_. One month, I think, in between. That should be enough time for them to recover."

Sen turns around and walks a few feet away, his fingers grasping his chin while he thinks. "Those with experience...so, Rop-pyaku-kyu-ju and Yon-hyaku-san-ju," the demon says, pointing to two of the Canthathirls. "You first, then Ni-hyaku and Hyaku. Kyu-ju, last, and myself--if I am still around then."

Two of the demons grin at each other, then the girls, while two more just look upset, and the last actually sits down on the ground beside Sango and Kagome and pouts. Sen smiles at the women again.

"It will not be unpleasant. Probably not what it would be like with another human, but not unpleasant. You will be...required to lie still, as any movement on your part could lead to serious injury. Women have died before...," he says vaguely, leaving no doubt in the girl's minds as to how they were supposed to behave.

Sango scowls, seeing Kagome's eyes narrow out of the corner of her own. If Miroku and Inuyasha couldn't tell them how to act, there was no way in _hell_ these demons were going to. The slayer reacts quickly, so fast that only the demon that got hit realized what was going on.

In one swift movement, the tajiya releases the catch on her hidden weapon and slashes the chest of the demon sitting beside her, pulling Kagome to her feet and out of the circle before the other Canthathirls even look down. They stand with their backs facing the wall, and glare angrily at the youkai staring dumbly at what just happened. Kyu-ju is lying on his back and yelling in pain, but the wound is not fatal. Sen frowns, then sighs.

"I had hoped that you would not act this way. I have already told you: there is no hope for rescue; there is no escape. Fighting will only make things worse...for you," he says darkly, vanishing in a puff of grey smoke.

Kagome stares at the empty space, before a prickling sensation starts on the back of her neck--like before. Less than a second later, Sen reappears in front of the girls, slapping Sango across the cheek so hard that the slayer gets knocked into the wall. He bends down and yanks the blade out of her sleeve. The miko gasps and kneels beside her friend, helping her to sit up, while the tajiya wipes her sleeve across her bloodied lip and growls at the Canthathirl hovering over them. She sees a flash of red cross the demon's eyes before he stares at them with an annoyed expression.

"Take this one, Rop-pyaku-kyu-ju. Yon-hyaku-san-ju, you can have the strangely dressed one. Meet back here in one hour to take care of the other male," Sen says. Kagome's pulse jumps. _Inuyasha..._

The miko barely has enough time to register what's happening before one of the Canthathirls grabs her arm and darkness overtakes her...

-------------------

"Simple cave, my ass," Inuyasha whispers. He, Shippo, Miroku, and Kilala are hiding behind several large boulders, staring at a very tall, ornate door in the side of the mountain. Swirling patterns have been cut into the black stone, resembling clouds or ocean waves. The designs are intricate, the edges of the shapes shimmering to silver when viewed from a different angle.

"Do you see a way to open it?" Miroku mumbles. He takes a deep breath, then lays his head back down on Kikala's and closes his eyes. The demon-cat whines, and Shippo and Inuyasha exchange a worried look.

_His heart is slowing down. I can hear it..._ Inuyasha thinks. _A few hours, at the most. We need to get to the girls..._

The hanyou turns back to the doors, his amber eyes taking in the large indentations in the earth around the opening before they scan the dark stone. It looks completely solid. Taking a breath, he speaks to the others.

"Wait here. I'm going to get a closer look."

Shippo nods and glances at Miroku--who didn't even open his eyes. The kitsune moves from Inuyasha's shoulder to the monk's, frowning as he notices the boy's pale skin and shallow breathing. Inuyasha catches the fox's gaze for a few seconds before sprinting around the boulders and toward the door.

_Hang on, Miroku..._ the little demon silently pleads. _Just hang on..._

_----------------------_

_Ugh...Where am I?_

Kagome opens her eyes and sits up, finding herself on a pile of pillows on the floor, surrounded by sheer white curtains. Frowning, the girl pushes one aside and sees that she's in a low-ceilinged room made of some kind of light-colored, grainy rock. The floor is the same smooth black-and-white that she had seen before, but there's a door to this room this time.

_Thank Kami... That means that I can leave..._

Kagome thoughts are cut off as the curtains on her other side are parted, and one of the Canthathirls walks toward her. The girl stares, as the demon is only wearing a pair of baggy black hakamas, leaving his stomach and chest bare. The miko feels her stomach turn.

_Uh-uh. No __**way**... _The girl's eyes widen as she backs away into the pillows, which makes the youkai smile.

"This will not hurt, girl. Well, not much--as long as you cooperate," he says quietly, kneeling in front of Kagome and grabbing her ankle.

The priestess wants to scream, but she knows it will do no good, so she tries struggling instead. The Canthathirl scowls and grabs Kagome's other leg, yanking her underneath him and pinning her. He grins again, but this time it's much more evil.

"I said, 'As long as you cooperate,' " he growls.

Kagome stares into the demon's green gaze and slowly feels herself relaxing. _What is wrong with me?! I...I want to move...but I can't..._

The miko tries to fight the soothing sensation that is overtaking her, but her brain also seems to be sluggish. It's getting harder and harder to work up enough energy to move. She finally sees the Canthathirl's eyes shift, and feels his hand on her stomach. Kagome's pulse jumps for a second, but the desire to do nothing quickly overpowers her will to fight back, and the girl lies quietly.

Yon-hyaku-san-ju fights the urge to roll his eyes. _Human women...always have to do things the slow way. Wish we could just do this quickly..._

The demon had never understood the need to humor the females by taking everything slowly. Sen said it was because they responded better and were more likely to concieve, and be able to bear another _akanbo_ sooner, than if they were forced. 'It gives them some sense of control, which makes them easier to deal with, even when they don't have any control at all,' Sen said. Yon-hyaku-san-ju sighs.

_Whatever...at least I get to go first..._ he thinks, smiling again as he moves his hand upward. He frowns. _What the...?_

The youkai narrows his eyes and tries to push his clawed fingers toward the girl's chest. His hand stops, a few inches away, as a light pink glow surrounds the miko.

Glaring, the youkai tries to go in the other direction, but is again stopped. Yon-hyaku-san-ju is starting to get angry now. He turns to Kagome.

"Woman! What the hell's going on?!" he yells, grabbing the girl's upper arms. Kagome blinks a few times before frowning at the demon.

"What?" she asks, still trying to come out of her daze. The Canthathirl shakes her forcefully.

"I want to know what you did! Why can't I touch you!?" he yells.

Kagome's eyes go wide as his question sinks in, but the miko doesn't have the answer. She opens her mouth to say as much, but the door to the room is suddenly slammed open, and Rop-pyaku-kyu-ju storms in, a furious expression on his face.

"Take her to the dokubo and meet back in the hall," he growls, turning and slamming the door.

Kagome stares at the door for a second before she feels the darkness again...

----------------

_No seams...how are you supposed to open it, then? _

Inuyasha walks back and forth in front of the stone door, trying to find a way in. The opening looked as if it wasn't even that, as it was flush with the surrounding rock on all sides.

The half-demon growls, stifling a yell. _We don't have time to waste wandering around. Why can't we get a break?!_

He starts back toward the boulders where the other are hiding, when suddenly he hears a gasp. Looking up, Inuyasha sees Shippo and Kilala staring at something behind him with wide eyes. He turns around...

----------------------

"Owww! I wish I could stop getting dropped on the ground!" Kagome yells as she lands on her rump. The girl sits up on her knees and rubs her sore backside.

"Kagome?"

The miko frowns. "Sango?" She hears a small gasp and looks around the darkened room, seeing a figure heading toward her. The slayer hugs her friend.

"What happened? Could he...did he?"

Kagome shakes her head. "No; he couldn't touch me. I don't know why."

Sango nods. "Me, too. He got angry when he couldn't, and then vanished. He came back a few minutes later, grabbed me, then I was here." The slayer shudders. "I don't know what's going on, but I'm glad it is. If he had..." Sango breaks off, unable to finish the disgusting thought.

The priestess looks at her with sympathy. "I know. But..."

Kagome suddenly stops, frowning. She looks around the room, a smaller circular one like the bigger chamber thay had been in before, but the windows are much higher in the wall. There's no door. The girl squints in the darkness, trying to find...something.

"What?" Sango whispers. She looks around, wondering why Kagome is acting so strange.

"I...don't know. I just feel like...nevermind. Probably just nerves," she says, sighing. The miko looks around a few seconds before sitting back down on the floor. Sango joins her.

"No point in trying to escape. We'll never be able to reach those windows," the slayer says, looking up at the openings more than fifty feet above their heads. Kagome nods.

"Yeah. Even if Inu..."

"That would be wrong, young priestess."

The girls jerk their heads up, staring in awe at what they see before them. Only one word goes through Kagome's mind.

_Surinotu..._

_

* * *

_

Hehe. :) Oh, if you guys want to know what any of the words mean, just ask. _Dokubo_ is 'cell.' And don't forget to tell me if you want another chap!


	17. The Other Ghost

Hello guys! Double update for ya. Sorry it took a couple of days. My brain was fried yesterday, for some reason. I was going to put a _major_ cliffhangar in here, but I think I'll wait til the next chap. At least, I _hope_ it's a major cliffhangar. I think it is, but my sense of drama seems to be different than other people's. Maybe I'm just tired, I don't know. Ok, enough rambling. Little bit of 'awww'-ness for you. And some hope... maybe... ;)

* * *

Kagome stares. _It's...it's him..._

The miko doesn't know how she knows this, she just sure that she's right.

"But...but how...?" she whispers, making Sango turn her head away from the opposite wall and stare at the girl.

"But how, what, Kagome?" The tajiya drags her eyes back to the apparition before them. "Do you know who this is?"

The priestess slowly nods as the ghost moves toward them. Kagome thinks the demon before her might be the most handsome man she's ever seen--excepting Inuyasha, of course. The lion's long, dark, wild golden hair is highlighted by various shades of auburn and amber, and is topped by a pair of rounded, furred ears. The hair frames his chiseled features and muscular body, which is outlined by the white tunic and breeches he is wearing. The youkai's piercing blue eyes shift from light to dark as he stops and sits down in front of the women, a frown pulling on his full lips. Kagome notices that he is not wearing any shoes, and that Surinotu has claws like Inuyasha. She stares at him with wide eyes.

"Miko?" he asks. The lion's voice is very deep and contains an underlying vibration to it--almost like he's purring. Kagome thinks that Arae-Yin Nae never stood a chance.

"Y...yes?

The demon raises a brow. "Do you know who I am?" he asks, tilting his head slightly.

Kagome is reminded of Inuyasha when he was trying to understand something, and struggles to keep from laughing. She holds it in however, as she doesn't want to frighten what might be the only friend she and Sango had in this whole place. She nods instead.

"Yes. You're Surinotu. You...you were with...," the girl drops her voice, "...Arae-Yin Nae. A long time ago."

The youkai's eyes widen, and his mouth drops open as his pale cheeks turn pink. He goggles at her, then turns to Sango and does the same. The slayer simply stares back, completely at a loss as to what was going on, as Kagome hadn't yet had the time to tell the others about everything that had happened in the cave. At the moment, Inuyasha was the only one besides the miko who knew who the demon before them was.

Kagome takes a deep breath. "We...we just came from the Cave of Promises," she whispers.

Surinotu pales, more than the girls thought was possible, since his skin was already the same color as the dead priestesses'. He blinks several times, and opens and closes his mouth, his fangs showing briefly each time. The demon finally places his head in his hands, and Kagome hears him take a few deep breaths. He looks back up at the women with tears in his eyes.

"You...you saw...her?" he asks, his voice catching in his throat. "You saw...Arae-Yin Nae?"

Sango--despite being in the dark about the youkai before her--immediately makes the connection between the two. She nods. "Yes. The priestess helped us out."

The demon looks at her with anguish-filled eyes before burying his head in his hands again. Sango and Kagome exchange a look, not sure what to do to comfort the man before them. After a few minutes, the miko finally speaks up.

"Uh, Surinotu? How...how are you...here?" Kagome asks quietly.

The demon seemingly ignores the women and continues to sob into his hands for several more minutes. A very loud rumble from above, then shouting and tiny rocks and dust raining down on their heads disturbs the silence. The girls pale and exchange looks, Sango mouthing the words '_Wind Scar'_ to her wide-eyed friend. Kagome nods and knots her fingers in her skirt to keep from crying out. The slayer puts her arm around the younger girl.

"He'll be alright, Kagome. You know Inuyasha."

"That's what I'm afraid of. But he can't destroy the Canthathirls, and half the time he can't even hit them. What if Inuyasha gets bitten, too?" Kagome asks, fear seeping into her voice. The tajiya pales.

"Who got bitten?"

The two girls turn their heads to the demon-ghost before them. Surinotu still has tears on his lashes, but now he's also sporting an almost determined look on his handsome face. Sango frowns, her voice shaking slightly.

"My fiancé. A monk. He and my nekomata, Kilala, plus Shippo--a kitsune, and Inuyasha--her fiancé...," she says, indicating Kagome, "...were left behind when the Canthathirls took us. The..._Sen_, said that he only had a few hours...at the most," Sango chokes, a few tears escaping down her cheeks. Kagome reaches over and holds the other girl's hand tightly.

Surinotu frowns slightly, then turns to the miko. "You...haven't healed him?"

The girls look at each other, then back to the lion. "What?" they say after a second, confusion on their faces.

The demon allows a small grin to cross his face. "You are a priestess--correct?" he asks. "You should be able to rid him of the Canthathirl's poison."

Kagome and Sango gawk. "From here?!" the young priestess asks, her voice almost hysterical. "Do you know how much energy I would use doing that?! Not to mention that I don't know how, or how much poison Miroku has in his system right now! I would probably kill myself before I could even heal so much as scratch!"

Surinotu narrows his eyes at her, his mouth set in a line. "Just exactly how long did you talk to _Arae-Yin Nae_?" he asks, his voice taking on a dangerous tone.

The slayer and the priestess exchange another look, each wondering about the demon's sanity. He'd gone through three or four emotions in the span of a few minutes, and now he was acting slightly hostile. Kagome wondered if he'd been around the Canthathirls too long. She speaks slowly.

"Only about a day. Inuyasha and myself got trapped in her shrine, overnight. He was human then, and got injured..."

"Wait. Did you just say _then_?" Surinotu asks, obvious surprise on his face. "What is he the rest of the time?"

"A half-demon," Sango replies. "Inu. He has one night a month when he turns into a full human."

Now it's the raion's turn to gawk. He looks back and forth from one girl to the other, his eyes wide. They finally stop on Kagome. "And he's your _fiancé_?" he asks. The girls can see his hands shaking.

Kagome can guess why the demon is so confused. A child of a demon and a human would never have lived long enough to be able to have one of his own, in his day. The girl simply nods her answer.

Surinotu continues to stare in awe as the miko's simple affirmation sinks in. He looks away for a moment before speaking quietly. "I'm sorry, for my interruption. Please continue."

Kagome hesitates a moment before speaking, wondering how much she should tell him. _Arae-Yin Nae was able to handle it... If he asks, I'll tell Surinotu the same..._ she decides.

"As I said, Inuyasha got injured, so we couldn't stay very long. We have plans to go back and build her a new shrine...if we ever get out of here," Kagome says softly.

The lion looks back at her and nods--once--indicating he heard. He frowns, and tilts his head to the side again. "So, why are you having trouble?"

Kagome and Sango exchange bewildered expressions--yet _again_--and stare at the raion as if he's lost his mind. The tajiya speaks this time.

"What...are you talking about? If I may ask?"

Surinotu stares at them as if they've lost _their_ minds. "Why, her powers, of course. The girl should be able to heal your man just fine--even from this distance. But I would suggest getting out of this cell first," he says, eyeing them suspiciously.

Kagome clenches her fists, having had just about enough of this confusing conversation. Keeping her voice level, she says, "And just _how_ am I supposed to do that? There's no door, and the only openings are way up there." She points straight up with one hand to indicate the windows several feet above their heads.

Surinotu, seemingly also tired of talking, rolls his eyes. "You _make_ any opening, silly child."

Kagome and Sango gawk at him, their mouths open. "What?! How am I supposed to do that?" the miko screeches, her patience finally having snapped.

The youkai flattens his ears. "Ssshhh, woman! They'll hear you!" he says, meaning the Canthathirls. Surinotu frowns at the two women, still confused at his words. He tilts his head again, then speaks slowly. "You...do you not know how to use your powers yet?" he asks, raising one gold-colored brow. _How is that possible?_

Kagome freezes, then sighs. "No. I...didn't come into my powers until a few years ago," she says. "And I haven't been able to, uh..._train_ much. Have you ever heard of the _Shikon no Tama_?" Surinotu nods. "Well, I ...kind of...broke it...into lots of small, um...pieces...and my friends and I have been trynig to collect them all...," Kagome admits, bowing her head to hide her embarrassment. "That's why I haven't been able to practice using my miko powers."

Surinotu stares at the blushing girl before him, then at her friend, who is patting her gently on the back. He had heard of the Sacred Jewel, of course--who hadn't?--but wouldn't the girl have needed her powers to find the shards? The raion asks as much.

"Priestess. Wouldn't you have needed your powers to find the jewel pieces? I find it difficult to believe that you've gone this long without learning how to properly wield them." The lion tries to keep his expression inquisitive, instead of annoyed and disbelieving, which was how he felt right now.

Sango glances at the demon, frowning as Kagome buries her head against the tajiya's shoulder. She tries to keep her voice level. "Kagome could sense and purify the jewel shards, and she has a Sacred Arrow that she could use to destroy demons. But this is the second time it has been shattered. The first time, a demon named Naraku was also searching for the shards, and make it extremely..._difficult_ for us. Kagome and another priestess--Kikyo-- destroyed him with their arrows, but the Jewel shattered again in the process. She...," the slayer says, nodding her head at the miko beside her, "...simply hasn't had the time to train properly." Sango purposely leaves out the fact that Kagome is from another time, as that would be even more difficult to explain.

The girls wait, hoping that the youkai will believe Sango's explanation. He tilts his head to the side, debating.

"Why are you wearing such a strange kimono?" he asks after a minute. Surinotu felt that there was something the pair was intentionally leaving unsaid, and he wanted to find out what it was.

The girls groan. Kagome proceeds to rub her temples with one hand, while Sango simply stares at her with sympathy.

"You might as well tell him..." she says, patting the miko's back again.

Kagome nods slowly, taking a deep breath before she raises her dark eyes to the demon's light ones. "Have you ever heard of the Bone Eater's Well?" The raion frowns, then speaks.

"I believe so. Isn't it made of wood from the Tree of Ages?"

"Yes. And because of that, the well has the power to transport things through time. Bones, objects...people...," Kagome says, shifting her gaze upward and running her hand through her hair.

Surinotu takes a minute to let the girl's words sink in. His eyes widen in surprise. "You... you're not...from this time?" he asks, wonderment tinting his voice.

Sango shakes her head. "No; she's from the future. And only Kagome and Inuyasha can travel back and forth through the well, but we don't know why."

The youkai tilts his head again, and brings one hand up to his chin, digesting this information. He finally nods. "That makes sense, I guess."

The girls exchange a look, surprised that the lion accepted Kagome's explanation so easily. _It's either because he was in love with a priestess, or because he's been around the Canthathirls too long..._ Suddenly remembering the question that Surinotu had never answered, the miko raises it again.

"So, uh, Surinotu? How...did you come to be here? Arae-Yin Nae said that you died in the valley we passed through on our way here."

The raion sighs, a sorrowful look crossing his handsome features. "Yes, that's true. Many years after Arae-Yin Nae passed, I finally met my end. I had been steadily losing strength for many moons, and simply didn't wake up one day. I was fortunate in that--most demons do not pass so easily."

Kagome and Sango nod. None of the demons they knew had ever died peacefully.

"I had planned to go to Arae-Yin Nae's shrine, and stay with her until I crossed over, but it was not to be. A..._kind-hearted_ monk found my body, and decided to build a shrine to all _Raion_ on this mountain, overlooking the valley below. His village had once been saved by one of my kin, and he simply wanted to pay his respects. He could not have known that his gesture would cause my heart such sadness..."

The lion bows his head, silvery tears sliding down his cheeks and onto his tunic. The miko and the tajiya watch him, feeling a deep welling of sympathy for the youkai before them.

"Where...where is your shrine?" Kagome whispers. An idea had started to form in her mind, and she wondered if it was possible.

The miko knew that the dead had a short period of time to stay on earth, which allowed the spirit to attain a sense of closure. After that, the soul passed to the other side, never to return to this world. However, if a shrine for the person or demon was built, their spirit could continue to return to the earth, for as long as they wished. The soul could sense when another was nearby, and could choose to return or not. Some spirits never returned, some never left. Others--like Arae-Yin Nae--went back and forth. It was thought that one could not find their loved ones on the other side, and--looking at the raion--it appeared to be true.

Surinotu raises his head. "It is a little farther past the doors that open into the main hallway above. It is a small altar that overlooks the valley below, carved into the shape of a lion roaring." The demon furrows his brow. "Why? Do you want to pay your respects?" he asks, bitterness tainting his words.

Kagome glares. Area-Yin Nae had told her that Surinotu had acted similarly to Inuyasha, but the girl thought the youkai was pushing it, for just having met her and Sango. Glancing to her friend, the priestess can almost see the same thought floating through the tajiya's head. Biting back a smart reply, the girl responds as politely as she can.

"No. I was thinking that if you have a shrine that can be moved, we could take you to your priestess."

Surinotu stares, open-mouthed. _Did she...she..._? The ghost swallows, afraid to hope for the secret wish he had held for so long. "You...you...would do that?" he asks, tears forming in his blue eyes.

Sango nods. "Yes. Arae-Yin Nae helped our friends to escape the cave, and she'd already saved Inuyasha's life before that. I think that taking you back to her would be an appropriate 'thank-you.' Don't you, Kagome?"

The younger girl smiles. "Yes. I think Arae-Yin Nae would like that very much," she whispers.

The golden-haired demon looks back and forth between the girls a few times before he sobs, burying his face in his pale hands.

"Thank-you."

------------------

"Run!"

"But..."

"I said 'RUN,' Damn it!"

Inuyasha grabs Shippo by the back of his neck the throws him into the air at the nekomata that is circling above their heads. Kilala swoops lower to catch the kitsune, who lands on her head. Miroku is still lying on the demon-cat's back, watching the scene below him with a blank expression. It would have been horror, if the hoshin had any energy.

The hanyou had turned when he saw the looks on Shippo and Kilala's faces, seeing four Canthathirls converging on him. The boy had paused a second in shock, as the demons were now in a human form and he hadn't caught their scents yet. Once he regained his composure, the half-demon sent his _Wind Scar_ attack at them, scattering the youkai like ants.

Unfortunately, none of them had been injured, and they quickly chased after Inuyasha again. Shippo couldn't decide if he should help the hanyou or stay with Miroku, but the Canthathirls didn't seem interested in the monk. The kitsune had told Kilala to take off, then quickly ran forward to help the older boy, who was now surrounded by demons.

Inuyasha had swung Tetsusaiga menacingly at the Canthathirls, but each one simply let the sword pass through it's middle harmlessly, laughing as they solidified again. They hadn't noticed Shippo.

The kit sent some of his _Foxfire_ at the youkai closest to him, which was suprisingly effective. The demon turned away from Inuyasha--howling in pain--before it disappeared. The other three Canthathirls turned on the kitsune, who immediately ran in the other direction.

Inuyasha caught two of the demons in the back with Tetsusaiga, sending them flying into the air to slam into the ornate, carved door. His smirk lasted only a few seconds, however, before he felt blinding pain in his left arm. He had forgotten about the last Canthathirl.

Using his claws to get the demon off him, Inuyasha had resheathed the sword, then run after Shippo, throwing him into the air. Holding his left arm and cursing profusely as blood slowly soaked his shoulder, the hanyou had followed the nekomata away from the Canthathirls lair, glancing back quickly to see that they weren't being pursued.

"Nice going, Inuyasha. Now _you've_ been infected," Shippo says, hopping off Kilala's head beside the half-demon. The kitsune is trying to sound angry, but the fear in his voice comes through.

Inuyasha growls, then sighs, as the fox begins to clean and bandage the wound. "It's not like I _let_ him do it. They weren't even going for you or Miroku. It seemed like they were only focused on me--like they were before, with the girls."

The boy whines as Shippo puts a stinging substance on his arm, but he doesn't know if it's from the pain of his injury, or the missing girls. Shippo nods.

"I know. They completely ignored Miroku, and didn't notice me until I used my magic. But why would they only be after you?" The demon finishes with the poultice he was applying to Inuyasha's wound, and begins wrapping gauze around it. "You think it has something to do with the girls?" he asks slowly.

The hanyou stares down at the fox beside him, his mouth set in a line. "I...don't know. They already have Kagome and Sango. And Miroku isn't going to make it much longer...," he says, turning to stare at the hoshin, who is still lying on Kilala's back. The cat whines as she looks back at the boy, before turning wide eyes to the half-demon. Inuyasha nods to her as he watches the worsening monk on her back. "...why would they need to make sure _I_ wasn't going to make it?"

The two demons exchange bewildered looks before a grunt gets their attention. Turning their heads toward Miroku, the pair stares in shock as a light blue glow begins to surround their friend...

* * *

Ok??? I never know what to write at the bottom. Maybe I should just put smiley faces... :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) 


	18. Changes

I know. I'm sorry. I kind of hit a road block in this chap, then I couldn't decide if I wanted to write it this way, b/c it sounds a lot like one of my other stories. (But it's just the one little part, which bugged the crap out of me, but anyway.) Then an idea hit me, and I went with it, even though it pushed my cliffhangar to the next chap. But this one might be ok, too. And it gives you guys another chap. I'll update _Kiss_ again soon, cause I made you guys wait. Oh. You'll need these: _Shuri suru kono hito kirikizu_: Mend this person's cut. _Uku_: Float. _Tobu_: Fly. _Hito Tsunagari_: Soul link. _Riyo_ _suru kokkyo kekkon seiryoku joka suru kokkyo doku ni kono hito_: Utilize the match's energy to purify the poison in this soul. _Sekitateru_: Push. Uh...I think that's all. Dozo!

* * *

Inuyasha and Shippo stare in awe as a soft blue glow surrounds their monk friend. The two demons can see the same emotion flickering in Kilala's wide, red eyes. 

"I...Inuyasha? What's...what's happening to Miroku?" Shippo whispers, pausing in his bandaging of the hanyou's wound.

The half-demon shakes his head and slides off his rock to step closer to the hoshin. "I...I don't..."

"Uggghhh..."

"Miroku?" Inuyasha kneels beside the demon-cat, coming level with the other boy. His golden eyes widen in surprise when the hoshin opens his own. "Miroku? What's..."

Inuyasha stops suddenly when the boy grabs the half-demon's bare upper arm in his hand. Frowning, the hanyou looks up at his friend.

"It's...it's Kagome...," the monk mumbles, closing his eyes again.

_------------------_

_Ten minutes earlier..._

"Are you sure this will work?"

"Yes, silly girl." The demon paces back and forth across the cell a few times as he talks. "I was in love with a priestess. _Am_ in love with a priestess. Did you think I didn't learn anything during that time?"

Kagome narrows her eyes at Surinotu for a moment before she and Sango clasp both of their hands together. "Ready?"

The slayer nods reluctantly. "Yes. I just hope he knows what he's talking about," Sango says, looking sideways at the raion with a '_You'd better be right or I'm going to kick your ass_' expression.

The lion rolls his bright blue eyes at the pair. "I know what I'm doing. Or, what you're doing. Going to do. Whatever," he says, waving one clawed hand vaguely in the air. The girls give him a disbelieving look, but the demon doesn't seem to notice.

"Arae-Yin Nae used this particular spell on me at least three times. It's different from _Naosu kono karada_, which does not discriminate between different types of wounds. That was a general-type healing spell, used when one is in a hurry, or doesn't know the cause of the injury. It uses more energy than other incantations, as the miko or hoshin is drawing on their own energy to heal, and not from the person who is injured. If you had used _Shuri suru kono hito kirikizu_, the miko you were healing would have used her own body's energy first, before relying on yours. If you had used that incantation instead, probably only a little of your power would have been needed to guide the spell's progress, and you wouldn't have fainted afterwards."

Sango and Kagome blink a few times at the lion, slightly overwhelmed by the long explanation. The young miko remembers Kaede briefly mentioning the importance of a spell's wording, and to try to be as specific as possible, when you could.

The miko had told the girl that it took a great amount of concentration for certain enchantments. _Seifuku un Kaze_, for example, a high-level spell in which the spiritual being had to use his or her power to control the air around an object. A lower-energy spell, such as _Uku_ or _Tobu_ could have been used instead, but neither of these are very definite with regards to the user's destination for the object. Arae-Yin Nae hadn't wanted to take that chance.

Kaede hadn't had time to show Kagome anything more than how to control her power level for the spells she'd already performed, and two other simple incantations that would come in handy. She hadn't even been able to teach Kagome another healing spell, as they really needed to be tailored to the injury, and there was no telling what kind of trouble the group would run into. The priestess had just warned the girl to be careful when using _Naosu kono karada_, and not to let her energy drain too much. Unless a wound was life-threatening, Kaede said not to use it at all.

Kagome flexes her fingers a few times in her friends' hands, noticing that the other girl is shaking a little. She smiles.

"He'll be fine, Sango. We can do this."

The tajiya nods, squeezing the miko's hands. "Right," she says, raising her dark eyes to the raion's light ones. "Just tell us what to do."

Surinotu's blue eyes flash brightly before he smiles, a very Inuyasha-like smirk crossing his lips. "Good. Determination is important. Indecision or hesitancy can stop a spell before it even starts." The golden-haired demon's grin slowly slides into a frown. "I do wish you'd make an exit first," he says, his brow furrowed into little lines across his forehead. "Sure you don't want to reconsider?"

Kagome shakes her head. "No. It's been too long already since Miroku was bitten; we need to help him before it's too late. And I can't do it without Sango. If we break out of the dokubo first, the Canthathirls might hear us, and we won't have a chance to help anyone."

The slayer nods her agreement. "She's right. Heal the monk first; then worry about getting out. Even if the Canthathirls come back, they can't touch us--though I don't know why. We're safe for the moment, but Miroku is not. We need to help...him."

The tajiya almost doesn't get the last word out, because of the lump that has formed in her throat. Kagome squeezes her fingers again, bringing back the older girl's resolve. Surinotu looks back and forth between them, finally half-heartedly sighing his defeat.

"Alright. Both of you close your eyes, concentrating on the link your hands are making between your souls."

Kagome and Sango each quirk an eyebrow at this sentence, but keep their eyes closed. The demon rolls his.

"You are friends--yes? So your souls are connected by that relationship. The physical contact makes using each other's energies easier and less-draining on both of you. Now, concentrate on your hands and repeat after me. _Hito Tsunagari_. "

Each of the girls takes a deep breath and tries to relax, forcing themselves not to think too much about what they were doing. Kagome and Sango tighten their hold, digging the nails slightly into the others' fingers, then Kagome silently mouths the raion's words. After a few minutes, the girls feel a cooling sensation flowing across the backs of their hands.

"It's...like water is running over my hand and into yours," Sango murmurs quietly. She breathes gently a few times, as if she's afraid any movement will make the sensation disappear.

Kagome nods her head forward a little, also in awe of the connection. "I feel...calm. Very peaceful," she adds.

"Good. This means that your souls are communicating," the raion says, sitting down cross- legged between the two women and placing his hands on his knees. "Now Kagome, try to find the portion of Sango's soul that is linked to the monk. It should be different from what you are feeling now--more intense and...probably warmer." Surinotu smirks a little at the light blush that crosses the women's cheeks. "It is a different type of bond and emotion that is shared between her and the hoshin's souls, therefore it will not feel the same as what you are experiencing now."

The miko nods, still feeling embarrassed about invading what she considered to be Sango and Miroku's privacy. Taking a long, shallow breath, the girl frowns slightly and concentrates on exploring the slayer's soul.

It only takes Kagome a few minutes before her palms start to feel hot and her heart starts to beat just a little bit faster. The girl also notices her fingers trembling and furrows her brow as she tries to still them.

"Uh...Sango?" she whispers.

The tajiya doesn't respond, but only grips the other girl's hands tighter. Kagome cracks one eye open for a moment to see that her friend has blushed the color of Inuyasha's haori. The miko suddenly realizes that this was how Sango felt about her fiancé, and immediately feels her own cheeks start to burn.

"I take it you've found that connection?" Surinotu asks, mild amusement in his voice.

Kagome turns her head toward the demon and tries to scowl, even though her eyes are still closed. The lion snorts quietly at her expression as the girl nods.

"Excellent," he says, smiling--though the women can't see him. "Now concentrate on that bond and repeat the incantation."

The young priestess takes another breath before focusing all her attentions on the warmth spreading through her hands, mouthing the phrase when she thought she had an adequate grasp of pairs' connection.

As soon as Kagome finishes the words, a horrible, burning feeling constricts the miko's chest, making it difficult for her to breathe. The girl gasps, clenching her fingers around Sango's, receiving a slight shock when the slayer does the same. She forces open her eyes, feeling them water when her gaze connects with Sango's. Both of them knew what was happening.

Miroku was dying.

"We...have to...hurry," the priestess manages to mumble, struggling to keep the hold on the monk's soul.

Surinotu swallows audibly, his face having gone to a lighter shade of white when he saw the girl's reactions. He nods, his blue eyes suddenly turning serious.

"You must keep the connection with his soul, Kagome. The spell will stop if you lose it," the raion warns.

Kagome blinks slowly to indicate she understood, as the miko was currently starting to tremble with the effort of holding the connection. Sango drops her eyes to their hands, frowning.

"Make her use some of my energy," the tajiya whispers, glancing sideways at the golden-haired demon.

The slayer could sense that something was wrong with the monk before Kagome had connected to him. Now the sensation was almost crushing, but it was still weak compared to what the miko and Miroku were going through. Kagome was feeling almost exactly what the hoshin was, and it was excruciating.

Surinotu considers the young woman for a moment before nodding. "Alright. Say the following, miko," he says, turning back to Kagome, noticing the small beads starting to form on the girl's forehead.

"_Riyo suru kokkyo kekkon seiryoku koto joka suru kokkyo doku ni kono hito." _

Kagome closes her eyes as she finishes saying the words, feeling something besides the cooling sensation of Sango's soul, and the pain of Miroku's flowing through her hands. This movement is warm and steady, but slightly... alive. Like the 'water' couldn't wait to get to Kagome. Frowning, the miko only wonders what the feeling is for a few seconds before it comes to her.

It's Sango's energy.

Hiding her surprise, Kagome concentrates on sending the warmth to Miroku's soul. It takes her several minutes to figure out--as she'd never done anything like this before, and the monk's pain was making it hard for her to concentrate. But the miko knows immediately that whatever she and Sango were doing was working.

Miroku was healing.

---------------------

"Ka...Kagome?"

Miroku nods without opening his eyes, letting his hand slide off of Inuyasha's arm. "She...she's healing me," he mumbles.

Inuyasha's golden eyes widen as Shippo runs up behind him and jumps onto the hanyou's uninjured shoulder, both of the demons staring in awe as the hoshin's coloring starts to come back, the boy's breathing getting deeper with every breath. The pair exchanges a surprised and alarmed look.

"How...how is Kagome doing this?" the kitsune whispers, reaching out carefully to touch the monk, as if he's afraid Miroku might harm him. The demon's small fingers go straight through the blue glow--as if it wasn't even there. Shippo pulls his hand back, flexing his tiny fingers in wonder. "It's warm," he whispers.

Inuyasha stares mutely for a minute before an involuntary whine escapes his throat. The others turn to him with confused looks. The half-demon starts shaking his head.

"Kagome can't...she can't...we have to make her stop," Inuyasha says, an almost pleading tone making his voice higher. "She doesn't know how to..."

The boy stops suddenly and falls forward, clutching his head with both hands. Inuyasha's eyes are closed and his face is set in a grimace, his breathing ragged and forced.

"Inuyasha?! What's...?"

Shippo--who had jumped to the ground when the other boy fell--pales as he glances at Inuyasha's injured shoulder, the wound now deep purple and blue. The edges of the marks are red and swollen, like Miroku's had been.

The kitsune walks around to the front of the hanyou, but instantly backtracks, hopping onto the nekomata behind Miroku.

"FLY!" he says frantically, his emerald eyes widening with terror as the full-demon Inuyasha swipes his claws at the retreating trio.

----------------------

Kagome lets a small smile float onto her lips. The Canthathirl's poison was being purged out of Miroku's system, and his soul was becoming less pained by the second. The girl feels her own body relax a little.

"It's working. Miroku's..."

The miko stops, a frown sliding onto her face.

"What's wrong?"

The miko glances up at the slayer, who is gazing at her with a concerned expression.

Kagome closes her eyes for a second, trying to figure out what the sudden pain deep in her chest was about.

"I...I don't know... I feel like...someone's..."

All the blood suddenly drains out of Kagome's face, making the horrified expression in her eyes more noticeable. Sango can feel the jump in the other girls' pulse through their still-clasped hands.

"Kagome? What's...?"

The miko suddenly stands, wobbling for a second before the tajiya steadies her. The slayer is pale and in decidedly better condition than her friend, but has still been affected by having her energy used by the miko. Both the girls stand in place for a moment before Kagome staggers toward the wall, placing one hand on it while holding tight to Sango with the other.

"What's the spell to make an exit?"

Sango and Surinotu exchange a bewildered and slightly scared look at the girl's whispered request.

"Why?" the raion asks, decidedly not liking the sudden change in the miko's decision. Something was very wrong.

"Inuyasha's been bitten. We need to leave. _Now_."

Kagome's emphasis on her last word left no doubt in either the slayer's or the demon's mind as to what she was going to do next. Frowning, Surinotu turns to Sango, floating back a little in shock when he sees her wearing an expression like Kagome's.

"He's...Inuyasha...he's not..."

Sango stops when Kagome nods. "What's the spell?" she asks bluntly, turning frightened eyes to the lion.

Surinotu frowns again before reluctantly speaking the word. "_Sekitateru._ But you need to break contact with..."

The ghost impulsively ducks as rocks and dust rain around him--forgetting for a moment that he's a ghost, and physical objects won't hurt him. The raion stands, his eyes widening as he sees a huge hole in the dokubo's wall, smaller stones still falling from the top curve of the opening. Sango and Kagome are already on the other side, walking down a small trail that leads around the side of the cliff face. The older girl is almost carrying the younger.

------------------

_Inuyasha..._

Shippo whimpers to himself, while wringing his fingers together and hopping up and down on Kilala's head. Tears are falling down the kit's cheeks.

"Miroku! What are we going to do?!" he wails, grabbing onto the nekomata's fur as she flies higher. Shippo looks down, paling as he sees how close Inuyasha got that time.

The inu growls loudly on his way back to the ground, still swiping his claws vainly, his long fangs bared at the three in the air. The boy lands, dropping to all fours while he glares up at them, trying to figure out a way to reach his prey.

"I don't know, Shippo. I could try to put up a barrier, but I'd need to get closer to him," the monk says, forcing himself into a sitting position.

Miroku had been steadily getting better, the poison being purified from his system by Kagome. A few minutes ago, the miko had released such a powerful energy surge that the monk had actually _felt_ it, and most of the remaining toxins had instantly been purged from the boy.

Miroku raises one hand and sees the blue glow that had been surrounding him for the past several minutes start to fade. He sighs, praying that Kagome hadn't used all of her energy while she was healing him. The monk thought he would probably be okay now, and hoped that his own energy would return quickly, due to the problem below them.

"I'm afraid that will only protect us, though," Miroku whispers, sending Shippo a knowing look. The fox stares at him with scared eyes.

The hoshin glances down, his violet eyes narrowing as demon-Inuyasha runs toward the mountain's face, apparently trying to use it to rebound at them. The boy is halfway there when he suddenly slides to a stop, turning his head several times before heading away from the rock and past the ornate door they had been inspecting earlier.

Frowning, Miroku, Shippo, and Kilala exchange worried looks before the nekomata flies after Inuyasha.

---------------

"You shouldn't have done that, Kagome. You used too much energy."

The miko nods wearily, struggling to keep her footing as Sango half-drags her down the mountain.

"I didn't have a choice. Inuyasha's turned. I had to get out; I'm the only one who can stop him."

Kagome closes her eyes when she finishes, breathing deeply of the evening air, thankful that the sky was clear tonight, as the moon was still just a pale sliver above them. It also helps that Surinotu is providing sufficient light that they can see where they are going.

"There's my shrine," he says blandly, pointing ahead of them.

The girls glance quickly in that direction, seeing a lion about three times the size of Shippo sitting on an outcropping. The shrine is carved out of the same rock that lined the floors inside the Canthathirl's lair. The cat is sitting on its haunches, but the mouth is open wide, its fangs bared as if it's roaring to the sky. Kagome thinks that it probably looks beautiful in the sunlight.

"It's very nice," Sango says, smiling a little when the raion turns around. Surinotu can't decide if he should appreciate the complement or not, so he settles for a single nod.

"I don't know how we're going to get it off the mountain, but..."

The trio freezes as they feel the sudden tension created by a powerful demonic aura. Looking ahead of them, Surinotu can almost hear the pounding of the girl's hearts as they see a tall, silver-haired demon blocking their path, the sleeves of his red haori and his hair blowing to one side by a slight wind. The youkai has its fangs bared, his eyes narrowed in rage, the purple stripes on his cheeks contrasting sharply with his skin.

Inuyasha grins as the scent of fear hits his sensitive nose, growling and flexing his claws before running toward the girls...

* * *

La la la la la... ;) 


	19. On The Mountaintop

Ok. #19. (Bites nails nervously.) Read on...

* * *

"He just grazed you?"

Rop-pyaku-kyu-ju nods, his olive-green eyes narrowed in pain. "I got him before he got me though," the Canthathirl says, grinning a moment before his smile falls. He takes a deep breath, trying to block the sensations from the wounds on his chest.

Sen frowns, looking down at the five gashes that run from the demon's shoulder to the bottom of his ribs. The injuries aren't deep, but the edges are red and a slightly greenish tint can be seen in the wounds. Rop-pyaku-kyu-ju won't die from the slashes, but the demon is going to be out for several painful days, trying to get rid of the poison that Inuyasha put into his system.

"Did anyone know the half-demon had poisonous claws?" the grey youkai asks.

"No. He didn't get any of us with them before; he used the flat-edge of his sword to knock us back," Hyaku says, kneeling beside Rop-pyaku-kyu-ju.

The Canthathirl pours some sweet-smelling white substance on the wounds, pulling his lips back in a snarl as the former grunts in pain. Glancing behind him, the demon eyes the wound Kyu-ju had received from Sango. The youngest Canthathirl was also in pain, but would be fine in a few days.

"What about the monk?" Sen asks, looking up at Yon-hyaku-san-ju and Ni-hyaku, who are standing near the door to the small, square room.

"He was on the back of that two-tailed cat. She flew away when she saw us, but he...well, let's just say he won't be a problem for much longer," Yon-hyaku-san-ju says. The Canthathirl smirks. "He may not even be a problem now."

The oldest youkai nods before glancing quickly at the younger of the two who are standing, then down at the demon kneeling beside his brethren. Sen sighs, rubbing his temples with one hand.

With Rop-pyaku-kyu-ju injured, Ni-hyaku or Hyaku would have to take his place with the girl. He looks back and forth from one demon to the other, noticing that both of them seemed to know exactly what he was thinking, and were staring at him with interest.

The problem was, neither of these two had never been with a human woman before, and Sen needed to guarantee that the girls would take. He probably wouldn't survive til the _akanbo_ were born, and Yon-hyaku-san-ju and Rop-pyaku-kyu-ju were getting older themselves. He hated to do it, but sometimes one didn't have a choice.

"Okay. I will show you two how it's done, then you will each take a turn. That way, the girl is almost guaranteed to take, and we..."

Sen's orders are interrupted by a loud explosion and dust raining down from the ceiling. The four uninjured demons look upward, three of them staring in confusion while the last one frowns.

"How did you say the one wearing the strange kimono killed the others?" Sen asks, looking at the remaining demons.

Ni-hyaku tilts his head to the side a little. "She...shot them with an arrow," he says, narrowing his brows together.

"A glowing arrow," Yon-hyaku-san-ju adds. His face, too, slides into a confused frown. "How can an arrow kill us?"

"It can't," Sen says. "Nothing other than our own power should be able to kill us, except possibly..."

The oldest Canthathirl trails off as he understands, a low growl immediately filling the room.

"A miko," he breathes angrily as he leaves the small room. The three uninjured youkai follow him, vanishing into thin air after the grey elder.

----------------------

Kagome's heart is beating frantically in her chest, searching for a way out of their predicament. She can feel Sango's hand shaking in hers, and vaguely realizes that Miroku's soul is no longer in pain, and that she can release her hold in the couple.

Dropping her friends' hand, Kagome tries to lift her feet as the slayer backs up, her cinnamon eyes narrowed at the raging hanyou that is bearing down on them. Surinotu is still standing in front of the girls, but there's nothing much he can do except distract Inuyasha, which he does now.

"Hey! Over here!" the ghost yells, floating off the edge of the mountain. Inuyasha alters his path slightly toward the spirit.

"NO!"

Kagome falls onto her knees as she yells, struggling to explain before the half-demon jumps off the side of the mountain. Surinotu turns to her with surprise.

"It's Inuyasha," she yells, watching the raion's blue eyes widen in shock. Only Sango notices that said hanyou has stopped running and is now staring at Kagome.

"Kagome," the tajiya whispers, pointing to the boy as she kneels beside her friend. The priestess shifts her gaze to the half-demon and sees him bring his claws to his head, a low whine drifting up the path toward them.

"His body's fighting the poison, but it's not working," Kagome says, feeling tears come to her eyes as she feels the same pain that Inuyasha does. "I need to get closer," she murmurs, hearing Sango's breath hitch in her throat.

"You can't be serious...," the slayer responds, helping Kagome to her feet and slowly walking back up the path. A series of quiet _pops_ gets the girls attention and the pair turns their heads, feeling their stomachs turn in response to what they're seeing.

Standing several feet behind Kagome and Sango are the four remaining Canthathirls.

--------------------

"Are you sure we should have wasted time by going down for Tetsusaiga?" Shippo asks, gripping the sword tightly across his small lap.

Miroku nods behind him. "Yes. We may need it just to keep Inuyasha a hanyou long enough so that Kagome can heal him," he replies, silently praying that the miko still had enough energy that she could do it, and that Inuyasha hadn't found the girls yet.

The monk withdraws several of his sutras, mouthing the words to imbue the papers with a mild stunning spell. He hopes that he doesn't have to use them, but honestly doesn't see any other way to subdue the half-demon. He takes a breath, then draws something else from his robes.

"Here, Shippo," he says, handing the kitsune the jewel shard that he and Sango had gotten from the village the day before.

The fox looks up at him with wide eyes. "Where did you get that? And why are you giving it to me, Miroku?" he asks, taking the small, slightly pink object and holding it reverently in his palms. The monk takes Inuyasha's sword.

"Because I think you're going to need it," the hoshin replies. "Use it when I tell you."

The fox-demon nods as Kilala rounds a curve of the mountaintop and comes up short. The trio stares at the scene before them.

------------------

_Oh, no..._

Kagome swallows and tries to fight the panic and pain threatening to overwhelm her. She feels Sango pulling her backwards, then whips her head around when Surinotu yells loudly at them.

Inuyasha is running towards them again, his claws extended and his fangs bared.

Sango growls. "Ok. First things first," she says, turning back to the Canthathirls, who seem to be all but ignoring the raging half-demon and are walking quickly towards the girls.

Kagome sees the slayer reach under the left shoulder of her kimono and draw out her fist, throwing whatever's in her hand onto the ground between them. A green smoke erupts from the space and the tajiya immediately pulls the miko toward the rock wall to their left. A few seconds later, loud coughing can be heard from at least two of the Canthathirls, followed by shouts of frustration.

"What was that?" Kagome whispers, as they walk out of the cloud on the opposite side as the youkai.

"Poison powder. It won't hurt humans, but I hope Inuyasha stopped before he got too close. I have something else..."

The tajiya stops talking as a low growl greets them from only a few feet away. The pair glances to their right, where they can see Inuyasha glaring at them, his lips pulled back in a grin.

-------------

"INUYASHA!"

Miroku yells, throwing Tetsusaiga as hard as he can toward the space between the girls and the enraged hanyou. The sword lands point down in front of the boy, and Inuyasha looks at it blankly for a moment, before growling and looking up at the trio with an, 'I've found something better,' gleam in his red eyes. He takes a few steps forward, then stops suddenly and yells in pain before he can back away from the barrier that's trapped him.

"What did you do?" Sango asks as Kilala lands beside them. "I've never seen that before." Surinotu floats toward them and the monk and kitsune give him a wide-eyed look before Miroku answers.

"I put some sutras on Tetsusaiga. I wasn't sure if it would work, so I had these as back-ups," he says, holding up the papers that would stun the half-demon.

"You need to take it down." The others all stare at Kagome as she takes a few pained, wobbly steps toward the bubble surrounding her fiancé. "I have to heal him," the miko whispers.

Inuyasha glares and charges her, smashing into the concave wall and howling in pain again. Miroku takes a deep breath and looks down at Shippo.

"Ready?" he asks, walking forward to stand next to Kagome. The fox takes a breath, then pulls out the small idol he carried, adding the jewel shard to the rock.

"Are you sure this will work?" Shippo questions, jumping form Kilala's head to Miroku's shoulder and looking through the bubble at the hanyou that is snarling at them.

"No," Miroku says, raising his staff above the barrier. Shippo 'ohs' quietly in the hoshin's ear, while a voice gets their attention.

"Wait."

Everyone turns to Sango, who walks forward and holds out her hand. "Give me those sutras," she says, eyeing the dissipating cloud to their right. Miroku follows her gaze before his eyes widen in understanding, quickly handing the slayer the papers. He turns back to the barrier, then freezes as he hears low growling coming from the shadows to his left.

"Damn it," he seethes, raising his staff and touching the barrier, then turning quickly to the two Canthathirls that had appeared on their opposite side.

------------------------

Kagome bends over slightly as Shippo's weight is added to her shoulder. She sees Miroku and Sango turn to deal with the Canthathirls that had just appeared, but can't spare any of her attention to see how they're doing.

As soon as the hoshin had touched the barrier it had come down, leaving them exposed to the full-demon Inuyasha. The boy has--thankfully--been distracted by the pain inflicted from Miroku's barrier, and is therefore hesitant to attack the miko and the kitsune.

Shippo takes a breath then throw his small idol as hard as he can at the hanyou, both he and Kagome praying that Inuyasha will catch the item and not simply let it bounce off his body.

The half-demon's growl quiets down as the tiny object floats toward him, watching it fall with vague interest. It hits him in the chest, then starts to fall to the ground before Inuyasha catches it, bringing it up to his nose. He seems to realize that he's been tricked about the same time that Shippo yells.

"Fox Magic!"

Inuyasha is slammed into the ground as the tiny idol transforms, pinning the half-demon's hands underneath the now Shippo-sized statue. The fox runs forward and places his own sutra on top of the strange-looking stone, backing away quickly as Inuyasha growls and tries to lunge toward him. The kit falls onto his rump, but sighs in relief as the spell keeps the other boy trapped firmly on the ground.

"We need to do his legs," Kagome says, grabbing Shippo by the back of his shirt and lifting him into the air.

The demon gives a small yelp as he and Kagome walk around to the other side of the youkai, side-stepping a bit as Inuyasha tries to kick at them.

"This one won't hold as well, because it doesn't have a jewel shard," he says, pulling another idol from a pocket.

"Not a problem," Kagome mumbles, yanking the bottle with the jewel shards from around her neck and fishing one out for the fox. She holds her hand out to him and the pair exchanges a nervous look before Shippo takes the shard and sticks it to his second idol.

"You're lucky I have two of these," he says, quickly jumping to the ground and pressing the stone to one of Inuyasha's feet while the boy is turning his head to figure out where they are.

He makes a strange sort of angry yelp as the second idol transforms--trapping his feet--then growls loudly at the pair. Kagome jumps as she hears Kilala growling and Sango and Miroku yelling loudly in the darkness, the three of them having moved down the mountain and out of the light from Surinotu, who is hovering by Inuyasha's head.

Cursing herself for wasting time, the miko throws herself on top of the boy, reciting the general healing spell without thinking. She realizes her mistake when she feels her own energy start to drain, but can't do anything about it now. Inuyasha is trying to knock her off his back, lifting and twisting his body so that his fangs can get at her. Kagome is doing everything she can just to hang on and keep the spell going.

_Change back...please Inuyasha...change back..._

Kagome feels a darkness starting to pull on the edges of her consciousness and struggles against it, forcing herself to concentrate harder. She opens her eyes, only vaguely realizing that Inuyasha has stopped most of his struggling and is now just growling loudly at her.

"Sword...," she mumbles, hoping that Shippo is close enough that he can hear her. A slight shuffling above her head gets her attention before the blackness covers her vision, and Kagome closes her eyes again, squeezing them tightly.

_Heal...please..._

The last of the miko's awareness fades as she feels a warm, calming peace settle in her chest, and a deep voice calling to her.

_Kagome..._

_--------------------_

"Would you get these off of me?!"

Shippo hesitates as Inuyasha yells, his emerald eyes wide as the hanyou glares at him. The older boy struggles for a few seconds before sagging back onto his stomach, panting heavily. He turns his head to the side and sees Kagome lying unconscious on his back, a pitiful whine escaping his throat.

"Shippo...please..."

The fox looks into the golden eyes that are pleading desperately with him and knows that Inuyasha is back to normal. He nods, heading for the half-demon's feet.

"Don't move. And don't hit me...," the kitsune says, taking the sutra off the statue at Inuyasha's feet before pocketing the reverted stone, "...it was Miroku's idea."

"He's...alright?" the half-demon asks as Shippo walks toward his head.

"You mean, the monk?"

The two boys turn toward the voice, confusion reflected in both of their eyes from the glow the ghost is giving off. Shippo just stares, but Inuyasha narrows his eyes slightly as the raion looks down at them.

"Are you? No...you can't be," the hanyou mumbles, flipping himself over as Shippo removes the idol trapping his hands and dragging Kagome into his arms. He sighs in relief when he sees the girl still breathing, and hugs her tightly to his chest, burying his nose in her hair.

"Surinotu, you mean?"

Inuyasha turns back to the lion, his eyes widening. Surinotu nods, then gives a sad smile.

"I am, but we don't have time for explanations. Your monk was healed by the girl, but he and Sango are in trouble now, I think," he says, pointing down the path, where a loud _whooshing_ can now be heard.

Inuyasha and Shippo frown, then understanding hits them and they jump to their feet, the hanyou gathering the miko in his arms before running down the trail.

-----------------

Shippo almost falls off Inuyasha's shoulder as the half-demon stops abruptly, and the pair stares in horror at the scene before them. The fox clamps one hand over his mouth, trying to stifle a cry.

The trio had rounded the last bend and come back to the clearing with the ornate doors, where the last Canthathirl has his back to them. He's different from the others, as his skin is a dull grey color instead of a muddy brown. The youkai is floating off the ground about thirty feet in front of them, and about the same distance in the air. He hasn't noticed the new arrivals, as his attention is on Miroku, who is on the other side of the clearing.

With his _Wind Tunnel_ open.

Inuyasha and Shippo stare as they see their friend's face contorted in pain, his left hand holding his right before him, countering the Canthathirls' own whirlwind. Miroku's _Kazanna_ is now so powerful that is takes Inuyasha a few seconds to notice.

"We're moving," he says, yelling in the fox's ear over the roaring coming from the pair in front of them and the wind whipping about their faces. Inuyasha ducks as a small tree goes flying past them, giving a quick glance to Surinotu--who is standing a little ways behind them, his blue eyes wide--before turning back to the kit.

Shippo frowns, then looks down, noticing the slide marks in the dirt behind the half-demon. He turns back to Inuyasha, then yelps in surprise as a sound like thunder pounds on their ears, and the kitsune goes flying off of the half-demon's shoulder.

Before he goes more than a foot, Inuyasha has grabbed the fox and dropped to the ground, pinning the smaller demon and Kagome beneath him. He looks back, his keen eyes finding Kilala in the dark near the large door, Sango trapped under her as the nekomata struggles to stay on the ground.

Inuyasha shifts his gaze to the monk, frowning deeply as he sees Miroku yelling in pain, the boy now on his knees. He looks at the Canthathirl, who only seems to be slightly uncomfortable, and nowhere close to giving in.

_I have to do something...or we're all going to be sucked in..._

"What are we going to do?!" Shippo yells, holding tightly to Kagome's right arm.

Inuyasha shakes his head uncertainly as he looks down at the kitsune, something catching his eye on the miko's exposed wrist. He frowns, then stares in surprise at what he's seeing.

_It...it's... It **has** to be..._

Making a snap decision and desperately hoping that's he's right, the boy withdraws Tetsusaiga from his hip where Shippo had returned it, quickly lifting the sword--sheath and all--and slamming it into the ground between Kagome and Shippo.

"Take care of her," he says to the fox, before quickly turning to the miko. "I love you," he whispers, leaning down to kiss Kagome, then rising to his knees and turning her so that his sword is even with her stomach. He doesn't see the girl's eyelids flutter open as he puts Shippo behind her, pivoting on his ankles before bolting forward.

Kagome's eyes widen in horror as she takes in the nightmare before her. She doesn't even have time to scream before Inuyasha jumps into the air, slamming into the Canthathirl from behind, and causing both of them to vanish into the black void of Miroku's _Kazanna..._

* * *

Do you hate me now? I hope so...I tried so hard... ;) Oh, there's only...two more chaps, then an epilogue. I'm seriously thinking about finishing the story soon, so let me know if you want me to...or if you want to suffer. ;) 


	20. Return

Hello everyone! Now that I've thoroughly irritated all of ya'll by not posting the next chap, and sunken into a depressed stupor by reading 'The Choice,' by Nick Sparks (Excellent read, by the way; I think I cried the whole 2nd half of the book...), I can finally write this chap. :) I tried to start it a couple of times, but I didn't think I was quite..._upset_ enough to do it justice. _Hopefully,_ I can now. Maybe. Anyways, dozo!

* * *

Kagome stares in silent horror at the spanse of empty air before her, refusing to believe what her eyes had just seen. The miko blinks several times, her breathing becoming strained as she tries vainly to call out her love's name. 

The girl makes a half-hearted attempt to move, before realizing that her body still hasn't recovered from when she healed Inuyasha. Kagome feels her eyes watering as an overwhelming despair hits her, due in part by the monk on the other side of the clearing.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it, DAMN IT! INUYASHA, YOU BAKA! Why?! Why...?!"

The rest of Miroku's words are lost as the hoshin buries his head in his hands, shaking it back and forth before repeating his curses in a slightly quieter voice. The boy places his hands on the ground, grabbing handfuls of the loose dirt as he drops his head between them.

Suddenly, the monk lifts his head and starts ripping the beads and cloth covering his now Wind Tunnel-free hand, throwing the scraps in random directions. Kagome can see the tears streaking down the boy's face, and feels her chest constrict painfully.

_No... No...this is __**not**..._

The miko's thoughts are cut off by a sudden loud sob, which is followed by high-pitched wailing. Kagome shifts her eyes, focusing on the small, fluffy red tail on her right side.

Shippo is sitting down, tears flowing freely from his dark green eyes--the kitsune's small hands trying unsuccessfully to stop them. The fox pauses a moment to hiccup before going back to his crying--this time even louder than before.

Kagome--still unwilling to believe that her lover has just..._vanished_--glances back to the empty space where she had last seen the hanyou, not even noticing the wetness on her cheeks. The girl somehow manages to tilt her head, so that everything is now right-side-up, instead of sideways. The first thing she notices is Sango running towards Miroku.

"Miroku, stop it! STOP IT!"

The slayer comes to sliding halt, falling to her knees beside the boy as Kilala quickly joins her. The two spend the next several minutes trying to separate the monk's left hand from a rock, which he had apparently been using to try to hack off his right.

Kagome hears a loud _Slap!_, then focuses her eyes on the red handprint on Miroku's cheek, her eyes leaving the bloody mess that used to be the monk's wrist. She sees the hoshin slump against his fiancé, grabbing the front of her kimono as he sobs against her, Sango's arms holding the boy tightly. The slayer turns despair-filled eyes to the miko, pearly trails highlighting her skin against the dark night.

It is at this moment that the horrifying truth of the hanyou's actions fully hits the girl.

Kagome feels an overwhelming wave of nausea, fear, and pain so great that she can't cope with the hopelessness of it all, and lets her mind slip back into darkness...

-------------------

The first thing the miko notices is voices. She's vaguely aware of a warmth on her face, and something soft covering her body. The girl tentatively moves one hand, stopping abruptly when her fingers hit the leather-bound hilt of Tetsusaiga.

_No..._

Kagome listens to the quiet conversation taking place across the fire, still trying to deny the fact that her beloved hanyou was gone.

"...two, I think, by my poison. Then Miroku, Kilala, and I fought the other two brown ones...

"They were already injured, by...by..."

Shippo stops, his voice catching in his throat. Kagome hears some quiet shuffling and a sniffle from the kitsune, then an almost-silent sob from the tajiya. The slayer takes a few minutes to compose herself, then goes on, her words shaky.

"They weren't...that troublesome, the second time, having already been injured. They left quickly, then...uh, Sen showed up, and knocked me backwards. If Kilala hadn't caught me, I would've hit the doors. When I looked back, Miroku had his _Kazaana_ open."

"He was always the strongest."

It takes Kagome a few seconds to recognize the voice of the raion, a light blue glow also fading against the insides of her eyelids before disappearing again. The miko frowns for a moment before remembering that she and Sango promised to take the ghost to Arae-Yin Nae.

"The oldest, but still the strongest. If...uh, I don't know if your monk would've been able to... uh, suck him in. On his own, I mean," Surinotu says, barely whispering the last words.

The silence that follows this sentence is deafening. No one moves, or hardly even breathes. Kagome hears the faint sound of an owl in the distance. A soft _mew_ from Kilala finally breaks the tension.

"It'll take 3 or 4 days to get back. Maybe more. Since we have to carry your shrine, Surinotu. And... Kagome."

In the quiet that follow _this_ sentence, the miko knows that everyone is staring at her, but she doesn't particularly care.

The girl has just heard the breaking of her own heart.

--------------------

Kagome stares in an uncaring stupor as her fingers trail the ground, small drops of blood congealing in the dirt every few feet. She closes her eyes, feeling the soft fur of the nekomata on her cheek, and the coolness of the stone lion against her legs. Even a cry from Shippo doesn't break her indifference.

"Kilala, stop! Kagome's fingers are bleeding again!"

A worried Shippo and Sango kneel down beside the girl, the slayer holding her fingers up to look at the ends. She glances quickly at her friends' face before sighing.

"Get the bandages out of her pack, Shippo."

"Has she changed? Or is Kagome still...?"

The fox stares at the miko with wide eyes that threaten to form tears again. Kagome just blinks.

"No. She's just...there," Sango says, wrapping the miko's fingers in gauze.

"At least Miroku will talk to us some. And he makes a face when we work on his hand." Shippo takes the bandage from the tajiya to place back in Kagome's bag. "Kagome hasn't even moved since we came down the mountain."

"I know, Shippo. But can you blame her?"

---------------------

"HIRAIKOTSU!"

Sango throws her weapon, immediately running towards the closer of the two snake demons at they part to avoid the tajiya's weapon. She draws her katana, slashing at the hebi as it slithers backward.

"Give them to usss! The Sssacred Jewel ssshardsss!" it hisses, striking at Sango as she reaches out for her returning weapon.

Kilala jumps forward, grabbing the demon by what Sango assumes is its neck, biting down hard. The slayer runs back in, bringing the curved end of her boomerang down beside the nekomata, effectively slicing the head off of the snake. As the hebi disappears into the air, a loud shout from Shippo grabs the pair's attention.

"Foxfire!"

The kitsune runs toward Miroku as his magic takes effect, making the demon howl in pain. Shippo jumps onto the monk's shoulder, yelling encouragingly in his ear.

"Come on, Miroku! This one's easy!"

The hoshin hesitates, simply standing in front of the 20 foot snake as it hisses in pain, sending raspy curses toward the fox.

"I'm going to get you, you little brat..."

The snake's words are cut off as it explodes in a whirlwind of colors, thanks to the glowing arrow it had just received in the chest. Three of the four turn in slight astonishment, staring at the miko kneeling in their campsite, a bewildered Surinotu beside her.

"Kagome!"

Sango sprints forward as the girl collapses, falling back onto the sleeping bag, silent tears covering her cheeks.

Sango pulls the now-unconscious girl into her arms, cradling the young priestess against her chest. She sighs, then turns to the others as tears start to fill her own eyes, blinking a few times at what Shippo is holding in his small palm.

Another jewel shard.

--------------------

"We should be in the village by tonight. Then maybe in a couple of days we can take you to Arae-Yin Nae," Sango says, turning to the ghost floating beside her. Surinotu nods, but doesn't say anthing.

The slayer turns her head to the monk walking on her other side, staring at the distant horizon with a vacant expression.

"How's your hand?" the girl asks softly, trying in vain to give the boy a smile when he turns to her.

Miroku simply blinks a few times before looking down at his right arm. He shrugs, drawing his gaze up to the nekomata walking in front of them, her miko passenger splayed along her back.

The monk continues to watch the pair for several minutes, then stops and shakes his head before putting it in his hands. Sango hears a quiet sob and debates for a second about hugging the boy, before deciding against it.

Sighing to herself, the slayer turns back to Surinotu, shrugging sadly as the raion nods in understanding.

----------------------

"I see it!"

Shippo bounds back to the tajiya, jumping onto her shoulder and pointing into the distance. Sango squints, shading her eyes from the sun overhead as she sees the first of the huts that populated Kaede's village.

Releasing a relieved sigh to finally be at the end of their week-long journey, Sango turns to tell Miroku and Surinotu, and gets a surprise as she sees Kagome sitting up on the back of Kilala.

"Uh...Kagome?"

The miko doesn't respond, but simply continues to stare ahead in blank silence. Sango and Shippo exchange a sorrowful glance before turning to Miroku, who's expression echoes Kagome's. The monk had become more withdrawn the closer they had gotten to the village.

_How are we ever going to get through this?_

----------------------

"Hey! What took you so long? Who's...?"

Koga breaks off abruptly as he sees the small group, noticably lacking one of it's members. "Where's...?"

The wolf pales as Sango shakes her head, her eyes betraying the despair she was feeling. He stares in slight confusion as they pass him, each one silent as they approach Kaede's hut.

Snapping out of his astonishment, Koga dashes past the group and enters the old miko's dwelling. Kaede exits a few seconds later, her good eye widening as the truth sinks in. She shakes her head in disbelief as the group stops in front of her.

"H...how?" she manages to choke, absently rubbing her injured arm. Koga, Hakkaku, and Ginta--who had been in the hut with Kaede--stand behind her, horrified expressions on two of the three's faces, while the leader's has gone impassive.

As one, Sango and Shippo turn to look quickly at Miroku, who has seated himself on the ground beside the hut. The boy doesn't notice though, as he has his eyes closed--his head hanging forward onto his chest.

Kaede makes a strangled sort of cry in her throat as she understands, her eye widening in horror. The miko looks back and forth between the monk and the tajiya, struggling to say something that might help ease the pain of the moment.

Unfortunately, nothing can.

------------------------

"No."

Sango and Koga look at the young miko in bewilderment as they set Surinotu's shrine on the ground beside Miroku.

"What do you mean, Kagome?" Sango asks, frowning at the girl.

"The well, please, Kilala," the priestess whispers, not even hearing the gasps she's receiving.

The nekomata turns her head to the slayer, growling lightly when Sango nods--her eyes glossing over.

"Are you coming back?" Shippo says, a slight pleading in his tone.

The fox doesn't get an answer, as Kilala takes off after a minute of the girl's overwhelming silence.

-------------------

Kagome stands in the bottom of her well, staring blankly at the ground. She didn't know how long she'd been there, but the sun was no longer casting long shadows into the well-house above her. Raising her eyes, the girl slowly climbs the ladder to the top, not even realizing that she'd left her backpack in the Feudal Era.

Walking up the steps to the outside, the miko pushes the doors aside, stepping through them and squinting at the late afternoon light that's reflecting off the leaves of the Goshinboku.

She takes another step, then stops, turning to frown at the weapon that's stopped her progress. Kagome raises one hand and fingers the hilt of the sword strapped across her back, shaking her head as her eyes begin to gloss over.

Hesitating a moment, the girl slowly heads toward the Sacred Tree, feeling her despair finally coming to the surface after days of keeping it inside. She steps over the small fence that separates the ages-old tree, staring up at the bare spot on the trunk, where Inuyasha had been sealed for so many years.

Feeling the first of her buried tears fall from her eyes, Kagome launches herself at the tree, wrapping her arms around it and sobbing against the rough bark, oblivious to the pain on her cheek.

"Why did you have to do that, Inuyasha?! Why did you have to go? What am I going to do now?!"

The girl slowly slides down the trunk until she's on her knees, her forehead pressed against the tree--her hands lying uselessly by her sides. She sobs loudly, her shoulders shaking as releases the pain of losing her beloved hanyou.

Kagome is so absorbed in her suffering that she doesn't hear the back door to her house open and close, then the quiet rustle of fallen leaves as someone approaches the Goshinboku, stopping behind her.

"That's still mine, you know."

* * *

Ok? Hrmm... What was I going to say down here? Don't you hate it when you do that? Oh. Little bit shorter than normal. The last chap should be close to normal length, since I have to explain. Yay:P 


	21. How

Hi Ya'll. Last Chap. Enjoy. ;)

* * *

Kagome freezes as she hears the voice of the person behind her, her heart starting to beat frantically in her chest. The girl's sobs stop for a moment, before her common sense kicks in. She shakes her head in despair. 

_I'm imagining things... It can't be..._

"Did you hear me, Kagome? I said that Tetsusaiga is still mine."

The miko slowly opens her eyes, focusing her blurry vision on the roots between her knees. She idly wonders how long it normally takes after a traumatic event for people to go crazy, before she decides to quiet her conscience for good.

"Dead men can't own swords, Inuyasha."

The deafening silence that follows her statement severely weakens the girl. She had been desperately holding on to the tiniest bit of hope that had entered her heart at hearing the hanyou's voice--whether or not it had been real.

Feeling her tears start again, Kagome is only just able to hear the half-demon over her sobs.

"I'm not dead, Kagome."

The girl freezes again, swallowing the lump that has formed in her throat--forcing herself to breathe normally as the boy's words sink in. She briefly closes her eyes, praying frantically to Kami that she wasn't just hearing things, before slowly turning her head.

Kagome stares in complete shock and overwhelming happiness as she takes in the blue-jean and t-shirt clad Inuyasha, watching her with a mixture of sadness and confusion while his now shoulder-length silver hair moves in a light breeze. The boy also looks slightly apologetic.

Ignoring the question of why he's alive--and the fact that she'll land flat on her face if she's still only imagining him to be there--Kagome jumps to her feet, stepping on the small fence surrounding the Goshinboku, and launching herself into Inuyasha's arms, hugging him tightly around the neck while she starts crying uncontrollably. The force of her action makes the boy lose his balance so that they both topple to the ground.

"Oomph! Kagome..."

The hanyou's words are cut off as the miko kisses him, holding his cheeks in her palms while tears flow down her own. Inuyasha makes a sort of squeaking sound as Kagome quickly moves from his lips to his cheek, to his nose, his forehead, his eyelids, his other cheek, his chin, both sides of his neck, his throat, back to his lips, then around his face again, making a pinkish tint slowly creep onto it.

"Kag..."

The boy's mumbled attempt at saying the girl's name is cut off again as Kagome brings her lips back to his, not waiting for him to respond before she deepens it, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Inuyasha slowly falls into the kiss, bringing his own arms up to embrace the girl. He holds her tightly, loving the feel of Kagome in his arms, and wondering how utterly stupid he really was.

He's about to find out.

Breathing deeply when the girl breaks the kiss, Inuyasha slowly opens his eyes, suddenly wishing that he _had_ actually just disappeared when he was sucked into Miroku's Wind Tunnel.

Why, you might ask?

Because of the fury on his fiancé's face.

Kagome narrows her eyes, glaring almost evilly at the boy below her, tightening her fists in his black t-shirt and lifting the hanyou until they're nose-to-nose. She whispers her words so quietly that Inuyasha has to tilt his silver ears toward her to catch them.

"What the _hell_ did you think you were doing?" she asks, a deadly calm steadying her voice.

Inuyasha blinks, the blush from Kagome's kisses continuing to rise up his cheeks and color the rest of his face. The girl snaps when he doesn't respond--choosing instead to simply stare at her in sudden embarrassment.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING?!" Kagome screams, letting go of Inuyasha and leaning back so that she sitting on his stomach. The girl breathes in deeply several times, her fists clenched at her sides--struggling to contain her rage.

It doesn't work.

"ARE YOU _INSANE_? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! JUMPING INTO THE AIR WITH MIROKU'S _KAZAANA_ OPEN?! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND, INUYASHA?! YOU COULD HAVE DIED!! YOU _SHOULD_ HAVE...!"

Kagome breaks off suddenly as the fact that the boy was actually still alive--when he definitely shouldn't have been--enters her head. The miko frowns at him in confusion, ignoring the cringe Inuyasha makes when she looks at him.

"Why are you still alive?" she asks, her voice catching on the last word. Kagome grabs onto the boy's shirt again, suddenly afraid that he might disappear if she lets go.

Inuyasha stares at the girl for a few seconds before sighing, bringing his hands up to rub his ears so that he can hear again. Once the ringing is gone, the hanyou sits up, holding Kagome's right arm in his left and pulling her sleeve up to expose the inside of the girl's wrist.

"Seen this somewhere before?" he asks, quirking one brow to indicate that he already knew the answer, and was just waiting for the miko to catch on.

Kagome holds the half-demon's gaze for a second before shifting her eyes downward, frowning. On the inside of the girl's wrist is a small, semi-circular object. The miko tilts her arm to get a better look, her brows going up when the symbol darkens--her skin shimmering in the faint light.

"Wh...where did that come from?" Kagome asks, bringing her other hand up to try and rub the symbol away. It doesn't work.

"It won't come off," she says, pouting slightly at the hanyou.

Inuyasha grins, rubbing his thumb lightly over the tattoo. "Of course not. Neither will mine."

Kagome's eyes widen as the boy raises his arms and strips off his tee, turning his torso away from her. Inuyasha nods his head, telling the miko to look at his back. Frowning again, the girl leans to the side, her shock evident as she sees the identical mark on the hanyou's right shoulder blade.

"Took forever to find it. Finally had to go into your bathroom and stand in front of the mirror," Inuyasha says, sliding his shirt back over his head. Kagome simply continues to stare in bewilderment. "Where have you seen that before?" the boy asks again, persistent.

Instead of answering the hanyou's question, however, Kagome chooses to ask one of her own. "How did you get here?" she says, her lips sliding into another frown.

Inuyasha sighs, rolling his eyes and taking the girl's hands in his own. But instead of answering _her_ question, the boy looks down, scowling deeply as he sees the bandages on Kagome's left hand. The half-demon blinks, then slowly raises his eyes to her face, finally noticing how loose the miko's clothes are, the dark circles under her eyes, and the tight way her skin is pulled across her cheekbones. The boy narrows his eyes, a low growl reverberating in his words.

"Have you been eating? Or _sleeping_?" he asks, not having to wait for the girl to speak to know the answer, because of the flush on her face.

"You..._died_, Inuyasha," Kagome whispers softly, her eyes trained on their hands.

The girl says the words in a way that tells the boy that nothing else had mattered to her; not even her fingers when she had let them trail over the rough ground. The miko tries to say something else, but only ends up pressing her lips tightly together, as her eyes start to fill with tears again. She sobs once, then brings her hands up to the boy's neck and hugs him tightly.

Inuyasha wraps his arms around her and rubs slow circles on Kagome's back, as the girl cries softly against him.

--------------------

"But we need..."

"I agree with Inuyasha, dear. You need to finishing eating first, then you can go back to the Feudal Era. It won't take that long."

Kagome glares at her mother, then shifts her gaze to her smug fiancé, who is grinning at the girl sitting in his lap. The miko was still nervous about letting the boy out of her sight--or her touch--which was why she insisted on sitting in the same chair as the hanyou. The girl sneers at the boy before going back to the plate Nozomi had made for her.

"Of course, that may be easier said than done," the older woman says, sending Inuyasha a knowing look before sitting down beside him and her daughter. The hanyou's cheeks start to turn a light shade of pink as Kagome looks back and forth between them.

"What does that mean?" she asks. Nozomi and Inuyasha exchange another look before the half-demon sits up a little, tapping the fingers of one hand against Kagome's knee while running the other through his hair.

"Uh...I don't know how to say this, Kagome, but...uh..." The boy pauses, dragging his claws nervously across the tablecloth, keeping his eyes down as he talks. "...I...um..._can't_ pass through the well," he says, blurting out the last of his sentence.

Kagome stops with her fork halfway to her mouth--not quite sure that she heard him correctly. She stares at the hanyou for several seconds, then turns to her mother, who nods her head--confirming Inuyasha's words.

"He's tried. Several times, Kagome. But the well won't let Inuyasha go back."

The miko continues to stare, not knowing how to deal with this new development. After several minutes, she finally manages to set her fork down, sighing audibly while she leans on the boy's chest, burying her face against him and wrapping her arms around his middle.

"I guess he made the wish a little too specific," Nozomi says quietly.

Kagome keeps her eyes closed as her mother's words sink in. "What?" she asks suddenly, jerking her head up to the boy, before switching her gaze to her mother.

"The wish, Kagome. The one Inuyasha made in the Cave of Promises," Nozomi answers, frowning slightly at the young miko.

Kagome stares at the older woman for a minute before turning to Inuyasha, who is smirking at her. "Forgot already?" he asks, leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek.

The girl blushes lightly at the fact that her mother is sitting only inches away, before shaking her head. "N...no; I didn't forget. But how did you know, mom? How long has Inuyasha been here, anyway?"

The hanyou glances at Nozomi for a second before sighing. "A week," he replies, his cheeks darkening as his fiancé turns to him with wide eyes. He rubs her knee absently while he talks, drawing his claws lightly over her bare skin.

"After I jumped into the air and hit the..._Canthathirl_...," he says, growling, "...there was ... nothing. No sound; no light. Just...nothing. Then a sort of..._pink_...glow, surrounded me, and the next thing I know, I'm lying on your bed, staring at your ceiling."

Kagome gapes at the boy in shock. "But...but that means that you ...came here...right after it happened..."

The boy nods, looking up at Kagome's mother. "I think I did. I ran to the well, scaring your mom and Sota when I jumped out of your window and landed in front of the back door. The well wouldn't let me through, so I had to come back and explain what had happened, ending with the fact that you and everyone else thought I was now dead."

The miko simply continues to stare, turning back and forth from the hanyou to her mother. "But..." Kagome stops, unable to imagine Inuyasha not being able to return to the Feudal Era. She turns to the boy, trying to blink back tears, when her mother suddenly speaks.

"Why don't you try again--since Kagome's here?" Nozomi asks, smiling encouragingly at the half-demon. "Maybe having her with you will allow you to pass through the well, Inuyasha."

The boy raises one brow at the older woman, before shrugging. "Worth a shot, I guess," he says, looking at Kagome. "Ready?"

The miko turns her head, nodding absently at the boy's question. "Yeah. We need to let the others know you're still alive." Kagome is silent for a minute, before whispering her next words.

"Especially Miroku."

----------------------

"You ready?"

Inuyasha nods, then takes a deep breath before he and Kagome jump into the Bone-Eater's Well, bracing himself to hit the ground at the bottom. The boy stares in awe as the familiar blue-white light surrounds him and the miko.

"I guess...I _was_ too specific," he says, looking up at the darkening sky of the Sengoku Jidai a minute later.

Kagome smiles, tightening her fingers on his hand before slowly letting go of them. She cringes slightly, then breathes a sigh of relief when she sees the half-demon still standing beside her. Inuyasha does the same before the pair climbs out of the well, sitting on its edge while the boy inhales deeply of the fresh air.

"I...want to try something," Kagome says, frowning as she pushes off the edge--falling back into the darkness.

The girl blinks a few times as she lands back in her time, trying to adjust from the bright light she had just been in. She jumps when someone speaks above her.

"Took you long enough," Inuyasha says, sighing as he reaches a hand down to her.

"Where did you come from?" she asks, frowning at the hanyou as he lifts her up.

"Your room. As soon as you left, I was..._transported..._back to your bed." He grins playfully, making the girl blush. "I just...blinked. One moment I was sitting on the well, then next I was sitting on your bed."

"I guess that you really _do _have to live with me in my time," Kagome says, frowning again as the two of them drop back into the well, but quickly smiling when the hanyou pulls her into his arms.

--------------------

"Won't you please eat something, Miroku? You've barely eaten anything since..."

Sango breaks off, standing with a sigh when the monk refuses to even respond to her request. Kilala mews softly from her shoulder as the tajiya turns to the leader of the wolf-demon tribe, her dark eyes filling with tears. Koga takes pity on the girl, drawing the slayer into a hug as he takes the bowl of food from her. Miroku doesn't even seem to notice, and continues to stare blankly into the distance.

"He hasn't moved...not since Kagome..."

Sango breaks into sobs, burying her face against the okami--trying desperately to draw comfort from the demon.

"We'll get through this Sango. You'll see," Shippo says quietly from Koga's shoulder, patting the girl reassuringly on the head.

The slayer nods up at the small demon, trying to smile as she pulls away from the older one, but frowning when she hears him drop the bowl of food he was holding. "I'll be damned," he whispers, staring at something in the distance.

Before either Sango or Shippo can turn to see what he looking at, the wolf takes off, yelling at the top of his lungs.

"You mangy mutt! Where the hell have you been?!"

Sango gasps, covering her mouth with her hands as she watches the two demons heading out of the village, the kitsune hanging on for dear life as Koga runs toward Kagome and a very-alive Inuyasha. The slayer sees the wolf punch the hanyou in the jaw, sending him flying backward several feet. The miko starts yelling at the youkai before running to her fiancé.

It takes the tajiya a few seconds to notice that Miroku is now standing beside her, gasping again at the confused frown on his face before Ginta, Hakkaku, Kaede, and Surinotu pile out of the old miko's hut, the last simply floating through the mat hanging in the doorway.

"Praise Kami," the priestess whispers, as the small group watches the scuffle taking place between the two at the edge of the village. They all stare in awe when Koga suddenly pulls Inuyasha into a hug, almost literally watching the half-demon's face turn a bright shade of red, despite the distance and darkening sky--Kagome and Shippo staring at the boys with open mouths.

Without waiting for the others, Miroku starts walking toward the foursome, his left hand tight around his staff. Sango and the others start after him, each gazing in shock as they approach the two demons who are now glaring in opposite directions, the women with silent tears falling down their cheeks.

Inuyasha turns toward them--just in time to get smacked in the head by Miroku's staff. "Owww, Miroku! What the hell was that for?" he asks, rubbing the spot with one hand.

The monk simply continues to watch the hanyou with a blank stare, oblivious to the awkward silence surrounding him. He finally speaks in a coarse whisper.

"Warn us the next time you're going to do something so stupid, Inuyasha."

The half-demon frowns for a minute, narrowing his golden eyes at the hoshin. "You know that I never will," he eventually says, smirking at the small smile that starts to spread across the other boy's face.

"True," Miroku responds, tilting his head to the side while shrugging resignedly. The monk looks back at his friend for a moment before stepping forward and putting his arms around the hanyou's shoulders, hugging him tightly.

"Thanks," he whispers, tightening his arms as Inuyasha nods, then quickly letting the half-demon go as he hears the others starting to whisper behind them.

"So...how are you still here?"

-----------------

"I knew that Kagome didn't have anything like that on her before the..._demons_ took her...," the boy says in a low growl, "...so something must have happened to make the symbol appear. It was a guess on my part that the promise Kagome had made was..._tested_. I was silently praying that the mark meant that what Arae-Yin Nae had said was actually true; that the promises we made in the Cave couldn't be broken. Thankfully...I was right," Inuyasha says, sighing tiredly to himself.

The group sits in silence for several minutes, before Koga tentatively breaks it. "So...that's how you survived, mutt?" he asks, earning a glare from the hanyou. "This..._wish_...you made... It prevented you from being killed?"

"Yes."

Everyone turns as Surinotu speaks, watching the raion silently as he frowns to himself. "Once they are made, the promises must be fulfilled. Nothing--not even death, supposedly--can stop one from keeping their word." The lion glances up, tilting his head to the side as he stares at the others. "Arae-Yin Nae thought it a myth, since she never knew of any that had taken a vow. But I lived before her time as priestess. I had heard strange tales of those who had survived unbelievable circumstances, after having been in the Cave. That was the reason I first visited it," the ghost says, blushing a pale pink as the women smile at him.

"So...that's why the Canthathirl couldn't touch me?" Kagome asks, ignoring the low growls from the hanyou on her left side, and the wolf on her right. "Because I've already promised to be with Inuyasha?"

Surinotu frowns again, then nods slowly. "Y...es. Since the magic is very old, once you vowed to marry him, you then became...essentially..._his_," the demon says quietly, earning a scowl from Kagome, while Inuyasha tries not to smirk. "It makes no difference that you are not technically wedded yet; the magic makes no distinction. Inuyasha is now the only man who can touch you." The ghost pauses, then speaks in a low tone. "With..._intentions_, that is."

"What intentions?"

Everyone inside the small hut turns a slight reddish color as the kitsune speaks, none of them wishing to explain what the raion was talking about. The fox glances back and forth between the adults, frowning at each of them in turn before a pinkish light gets everyone's attention.

"KOGA!"

Kagome's proclamation is followed by a loud _Slap!_, which is immediately followed by a _very_ pissed off hanyou dragging a growling okami out of the hut by his ponytail, which is then succeeded by yelling and the muffled sound of something getting pounded.

"_That_ is for trying to touch Kagome! And _that_ is for sitting on me!"

"Mutt! I was trying to prove the ghost's point!"

"You stupid wolf! Shippo doesn't _need_..."

The rest of the half-demon's words are cut off as loud scuffling and growling floats into the hut. Kagome--finally coming out of her shock--stands and walks over to the hut's entrance to yell at the boys.

"Inuyasha! You..."

The young miko's voice is suddenly cut off as _another_ pink light surrounds her, this time because of the proximity of a certain monk's hand.

"Miroku?!"

Inuyasha appears in the doorway instantly after hearing the girl, his golden eyes narrowing dangerously at the hoshin, who smirks.

"That is what 'intentions' mean, Shippo," Miroku says, moving to hide from the irate hanyou, stopping behind a glaring and unamused Sango.

Everyone is so busy trying to keep Inuyasha from killing the priest, that it takes them a minute to quieten down and notice the pink glow that is now surrounding the slayer. Two of the 3 other humans, 4 demons, 1 ghost, and 1 half-demon stare at the girl in shock, as Kagome simply blinks in confusion, and a disheveled and slightly beaten Koga moves back into the hut, finally voicing the question that all of them are thinking.

"I take it the Canthathirls couldn't touch you, either?"

-----------------------------

"I was never in the Cave, so I never made a promise."

"That may be true, but where have you seen this before?" Inuyasha asks, pulling his fiancé's sleeve up, while he holds the girl protectively in his lap. "But...I don't know how you got it, Sango. Or how it works," the hanyou says, shaking his head. "That's the only way I can see how the magic would also work on you..."

The slayer frowns, as Shippo hops over beside Kagome to stare at the faint tattoo on her arm. The tajiya and the kitsune exchange a surprised glance as they both realize where they'd seen the strange mark, the girl quickly searching her pockets while the fox explains.

"It's the shell that I took from Inuyasha," Shippo says wonderingly. "I didn't want it anymore--after Inuyasha got sick--so I dropped it in Sango's lap when you two went to Kagome's time," he says, pointing to the small black object now lying in the slayer's palm before he looks up at the miko and the hanyou.

"I meant to give it back later. I guess...I forgot," Sango says, her fingers shaking while she holds the seashell.

"Did Arae-Yin Nae see this?" Surinotu suddenly asks, frowning as he leans over the girl.

Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippo, and Kilala exchange puzzled glances, each of them shaking their heads.

"No; none of us saw it until Shippo took it from Inuyasha. After we had left the priestess," Miroku says.

"I didn't think so. She would've told you about it's powers if she had known you had one of these," the raion says, earning more confused looks from the group. The lion smiles playfully before speaking. "It is an _iremono_. A vessel. A container that can hold magic. This one...," the demon says, gesturing toward the object in the slayer's palm, "...holds similar powers as those contained in the Cave of Promises."

The group stares in awed silence as the ghosts words slowly sink in. "But...how did it protect the slayer?" Hakkaku finally asks.

"Yes. And where did it come from?" Ginta adds, tired of only listening to the conversation.

Surinotu grins at the two demons, but turns to Sango when he speaks. "Sango, you did not wish to be..._there_, while you were with the Canththirl, correct?"

The tajiya blinks once, before turning a glare on the raion. "Noooo...," she says slowly, as if the lion was intentionally being dumb.

Surinotu smiles, his light blue eyes twinkling. "That was enough, then," he says quietly, continuing when 10 confused stares are aimed in his direction. "An _iremono_'s power changes, depending on the person who holds it, and what they desire. Also, the vessel's power only works while it is in that person's possession. For example, even though Shippo and Inuyasha have both held the shell, they could not now use it's powers, since Sango has it. Also, if she were to pass it to, say, Kaede...," the raion says, nodding at the silent miko sitting across from him, "...it's power would no longer work for Sango, and Miroku would..."

"Have intentions," Inuyasha says under his breath, earning a quiet giggle from Kagome.

"...be able to...well..."

Surinotu stops, waving a clawed hand vaguely. Miroku grins at the tajiya--who scowls back--while the rest of the group just shakes their heads, except for Kagome, who frowns.

"But...just now...," the miko mumbles, "...it was Miroku that tried to touch Sango. Why did the iremono prevent him from touching her, when he's the one she's with--since Inuyasha and I..." Kagome stops, her cheeks gaining a slight pink color.

Surinotu smiles at the girl, but remains silent for a few seconds, his brow furrowing while he thinks. "You would not..._permit_... Miroku--would you, Sango?" he asks, turning his light gaze back to the slayer.

"Uh...no," the tajiya says, frowning at the hoshin grinning widely at her. Miroku sighs, shaking his head in mock astonishment. The others ignore him.

"Ahhh. That is why the monk is..._blocked, _then. You have not granted him _... permission,_ therefore, the magic is preventing all...uh..._pursuants,_ until you say otherwise."

Sango turns to the boy, smiling sweetly as she tightens her fingers around the small object. Miroku pouts and places his chin on his free hand, muttering under his breath. Everyone else rolls their eyes, except for Kaede.

"So...it is only...temporary?" the elder miko asks, earning a nod from the ghost. The woman considers this for a moment, before speaking slowly. "Then...what _exactly _are the object's powers?"

"To understand that, miko, you need to know where the iremono came from. This one...," Surinotu says, pointing at the shell, "...used to reside in the altar that now frames the Canthathirl's lair."

"The...altar?" Miroku asks, tilting his head to the side. The priest continues a few seconds later, his dark eyes widening in understanding. "You mean...it's not...a _door_?"

Surinotu grins. "I can see how you would think that, but no--it's not a door. The..._rock_...that now resides at the entrance to the demon's lair is..."

"Arae-Yin Nae's," Kagome says, smiling grimly. "She said that there used to be an altar at the back of the cave, but she never said what had happened to it."

Surinotu nods. "You are correct, Kagome. The..._demons..._and I did not..._get along_," the ghost says, sneering. "I don't agree with their_...methods_ concerning women, and told them as much, many times. On one occasion, I managed to help a girl escape, and--since the demons can't harm me...uh..._physically_, they decided to do the next best thing." The demon stops, sighing to himself as he shakes his head slowly back and forth.

"They moved the altar--didn't they?" Inuyasha says, his brows furrowed in an angry scowl. "They found out where Arae-Yin Nae's cave was, and took the altar to defile the shrine and torment you."

Surinotu turns his head to the hanyou, holding the boy's intense amber gaze for a few seconds before nodding. Quiet gasps from the women and low growls from the others follow the ghost's affirmation.

"But there is nothing to be done about it now. We can't go back for it, and once I see Arae-Yin Nae, I won't want to," Surinotu says, his blue eyes taking on a wistful glaze. The youkai stares at nothing in particular for several seconds, until Shippo's quiet giggles bring him back. Shaking his head, the raion continues where he left off.

"So, the _iremono_ was a piece of the altar in Arae-Yin Nae's shrine. I imagine that it probably just fell out when the Canthathirl's moved the altar, and remained hidden until you found it, Inuyasha," he says, looking again at the half-demon.

"In the lake," the boy says.

"Lake? Oh, yes...I suppose the pond could be a lake by now... Anyway, the...what were you doing in the lake?" Surinotu asks, raising his brows at the hanyou.

Inuyasha's cheeks redden, before he waves one hand vaguely in the air. "Nevermind...go on, Surinotu," he says, ignoring the smiles from his supposed 'friends.'

The ghost frowns for a moment before shrugging, and continuing on. "The shell was one of half-a-dozen vessels in the altar, and each could be used for whatever the possessor has the greatest desire for. Protection--in Sango's case...," the lion says, when several confused frowns are aimed in his direction, "...or perhaps luck while trading with a neighboring village, or to draw the eye of an secret love. The uses may vary, but can never be anything material. The iremono will not repond if you desire wealth, for example, but you can wish for the knowledge of what crops will be prosperous this season."

"So...the iremono protected Sango from the Canthathirls because she _wished_ that they couldn't do anything to her?" Kagome asks, frowning slightly when the demon nods. The miko seems to think about this for a minute before shrugging and leaning back against the half-demon behind her, closing her eyes as a sudden tiredness overtakes her mind.

Movement near the doorway, followed by several gasps and growling makes the girl open her eyes again.

Kagome stares in awe, unable to accept the fact that Sesshomaru is standing inside the miko's small hut, what looks like relief on his normally stoic face.

As soon as the girl realizes who he is, however, the demon is gone, the rustle of the reed mat the only indication that he had even been there.

"Looks like we're not the only ones that are glad you're alive, Inuyasha," Shippo says, smiling as he jumps over to the hanyou and hugs him around the neck.

* * *

Done. Yay! Oh, but there's an epilogue, so not technically done yet. Still have a few things to talk about. Is that all:) Hrmmmm... Tired like Kagome. Wish I had a puppy-eared hanyou to use as a pillow... 


	22. Epilogue

Epilogue. :P Enjoy.

* * *

"He didn't sleep last night, I take it?" 

"No. Or the night before that. Or the night before that. Well, not much, anyway."

"Miroku couldn't go that long, obviously. We had to take turns. It's easier now that he's older."

"That won't last much longer."

Kagome and Sango laugh as Arae-Yin Nae pulls lightly on Surinotu's ear, silently admonishing the raion's jest toward the slayer.

"Well, he's not wrong," Sango says, raising one hand and laying it on her slightly swollen belly. "We have a few months yet, to get as much sleep as possible."

A shrill squeal breaks the comfortable serene setting, and the three women and one demon turn toward the lake, seeing a dark-haired toddler splashing in the shallows, a wet kitsune a few feet farther in the water trying to control his irritation, and a completely dry nekomata rolling on her back on the sand in amusement.

"I think Kilala probably helped Kuro," Arae-Yin Nae says, smiling at the trio.

Kagome and Sango nod, before glancing back to the boys sleeping with their heads in the girl's laps. The miko feels a smile come onto her face, when a tiny yawn reaches her ears.

"Does he still watch her?"

Kagome nods, without looking up to see who had asked the question. "Yes. Every night. It's like he's amazed that he had a part in bringing her into the world," she says, gently scratching the base of her daughter's small, silver ears.

After a few minutes, the infant yawns again, before settling back down. Kagome smiles, moving her hand to the ears belonging to her husband, who is holding the little girl in the crook of one arm while he sleeps.

Or so she thinks.

"Talking about me again?" he asks, echoing his daughter's previous movements by yawning widely, then taking Kagome's hand and kissing her palm before placing it over his eyes.

"No, Inuyasha. She's talking about Kobi's _real_ father."

The monk stops, laughing under his breath at the warning growl the hanyou is sending him.

"I wouldn't tease him, Miroku. You know he gets cranky when he hasn't slept," Sango says, winking at Kagome, who grins.

"What do you mean, 'when he hasn't slept' ? Inuyasha is cranky all the time."

The three humans laugh as Inuyasha growls again, aiming his words at the two ghosts sitting on the opposite end of the picnic blanket. "See what I have to put up with?"

"I don't see anything," Surinotu says quickly, earning another ear-pull from the priestess.

Kagome laughs with the others, then leans over her husband and kisses him lightly. Inuyasha tries holding onto his frown, but eventually breaks, smiling and pulling the miko's hand down--kissing her palm again before laying it on his chest.

"The feeling I get--when I'm watching her--there's...there's nothing like it," the hanyou says quietly, turning his head and pressing his lips gently to the tiny demon's brow.

"I know what you mean, Inuyasha. It's like life can't be any more perfect than at that moment," Sango whispers, looking toward her son, who is trying to knock Shippo into the lake again.

The slayer turns a watery smile to the monk in her lap, drawing her hands down his cheek until the boy catches them, bringing her fingers to his lips and echoing her expression.

"And we have another one on the way," Miroku says, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at his wife. Kagome, Inuyasha, Surinotu, and Arae-Yin Nae laugh as Sango brings her other hand up and smacks the boy lightly on the cheek.

"I am happy for you," Arae-Yin Nae says after a quiet moment, smiling when the foursome glances at her and Surinotu. The ghost pauses, tilting her head slightly while she gazes at the tiny demon. "Do you ever use her full name?"

Kagome shakes her head. "Rarely. Yorokobi is too long and awkward for Kuro to say, and once he messed up her name the first time, it was to cute to correct."

Arae-Yin Nae nods, smiling again as she glances past the toddler and the two demons, who are slowly making their way back to the adults, taking time to play in the grass as they come. The ghost aims her gaze at a point near the far shore, where she can see Surinotu's shrine as it reflects the bright sunshine against the water, the black stone shimmering beautifully in the light.

Beside it--on it's own raised platform--sits the priestesses' new shrine: a seashell the same size as Surinotu's lion, made from the pale white granite from her cave. The rock is intricately detailed, the same precision that was included in her former altar showing itself in the way each of the cuts catches the darker lines in the stone--making them seem to come alive, so that shell looks as if it's come straight from the ocean.

"How did you make it look so real?" Surinotu asks, somehow knowing what the miko was looking at, even though she's behind him. The demon-ghost leans up on his elbows, grinning toothily to himself when Arae-Yin Nae wraps her arms around his neck.

"We know someone who works with stones," Inuyasha answers, allowing a smirk to cross his face. "They're very good."

The raion raises a brow at the hanyou's words, but doesn't comment. Instead, he sits all the way up and pulls a surprised Arae-Yin Nae into his lap, kissing her passionately while Sango, Miroku, Kagome, and Inuyasha laugh.

"Surinotu! What are you _doing_?" the miko asks, blushing madly, despite the paleness of her cheeks. "They are sitting _right there_."

The demon grins again. "I know. I've been waiting a _very_ long time to do that in front of an audience," Surinotu says, leaning forward to kiss the priestess again, to the sound of more laughing.

After a minute, the raion releases Arae-Yin Nae, who sits up on her knees, absently trying to straighten her robe and calm the flush on her cheeks, purposely refusing to look at any of the others.

"It's nice. That you're together now; after so long," Sango says softly, giving the ghosts a small smile. "I'm sorry that it couldn't have been like this when you were alive."

Everyone pauses a moment as they remember the two ghosts reunion, half saddened, and half amused. Arae-Yin Nae had been so overwhelmed when she had seen the raion floating toward her behind the others, that she had promptly fainted.

Twice.

The dead miko had woken up the first time to find Surinotu holding her in his arms, and had immediately closed her eyes again, going completely limp in his arms. Once she had awoken again--and could finally believe what she was seeing--the priestess had cried in happiness for hours.

Surinotu shrugs. "It's almost better this way. Now I can do that for eternity," the lion says, turning to send the miko an almost leering glance as he grins at her.

Arae-Yin Nae holds his gaze for minute before looking back down at her robe, trying again to hide her blush as everyone laughs. "When do you think the marks will disappear?" she asks without looking up, hoping to divert the conversation away from herself and Surinotu.

"I...don't know," Inuyasha says, glancing sideways at the shell just showing beneath the sleeve on his t-shirt; the one that had appeared after Kagome had 'tested' the theory that the hanyou had to live in her time.

"Mine disappeared after Inuyasha and I...uh, got married," Kagome says, hoping that no one could see the blush on her cheeks, since her marks had vanished _the morning after, _instead of at the end of the actual ceremony. "All...how many did I have? Four?"

"Five. _Someone_..._slipped_...when he was congratulating the bride," Inuyasha growls, turning his head to glare at a certain monk a few feet away.

Miroku grins innocently, until Sango slams a small rock down on his forehead. "I knew Kagome's kimono was too pink," the slayer says, narrowing her eyes at her husband in a silent promise that he will be in more pain when they get back home.

"How many do you have now, Inuyasha?" the hoshin asks, rubbing his head with one hand, but not looking very apologetic.

The hanyou glares at the other boy for another minute before closing one eye, thinking. "Tw...three. The one from the mountain, and two from when Kagome went back to her time without me," Inuyasha says. "Shoulder blade, bicep, stomach."

"Stomach?" Surinotu asks, frowning slightly.

Kagome nods, grinning as she pulls Inuyasha's shirt up, exposing his stomach and the dark shell on one side of his belly button. She moves her hand down, lightly running her fingers over the mark and feeling Inuyasha clench his muscles, a light growl floating up to her ears. Kagome stifles a laugh, moving her hand slowly back up to pull his shirt back down.

"I think it's random. Where they show up. And don't even bother asking, Miroku," the girl says, seeing the monk open his mouth out of corner of her eye.

"I was just going to ask why you thought Inuyasha still had his. He's living in your time now; they should be gone," Miroku replies, slightly indignant.

The group is quiet for several minutes--thinking--before Arae-Yin Nae speaks. "You said...you promised to live in Kagome's time, correct Inuyasha?" She continues when the boy nods. "Was there anything else? Remember that I told you that the wording was important."

The hanyou frowns to himself, then raises his eyes to his wife, seeing her expressions echo his. "Uh...I...don't..."

Almost as if they had planned it, both Inuyasha and Kagome gasp--their eyes widening in surprise--which is then followed by a soft, double, '_Oh Kami,'_ then a groan from both the young miko and the hanyou while they shake their heads.

"Why didn't we remember before this?" Kagome asks, placing her hands on her temples and rubbing them as if she was trying to force herself to have remembered much earlier than this moment.

"I don't know; with everything that was happening, we just forgot," Inuyasha mumbles, a small growl coming from his throat.

The boy quickly cuts it off when Kobi utters a soft whimper. He turns and whispers nonsense syllables into the baby inu's tiny, triangular ears until she settles down again, snuggling against her father. The ghosts, three humans, and trio that has just arrived wait until Kobi is quiet, before Shippo speaks softly.

"What did you forget?" the kitsune asks, sitting down in the middle of all the adults and trying to wring out his wet clothes. Kilala hops onto Kagome's shoulder, while Kuro-- somewhat tired from playing with the two demons--climbs into his mother's lap and nods when Sango puts one finger to her lips then points to Kobi. The boy then lays his head against his father's and wraps his small arms around Miroku's neck, turning his eyes to the infant and watching her with something close to wonder.

"Inuyasha said, 'After we finish everything here,' before he made the promise to live in my time. But...what exactly does that mean, Arae-Yin Nae? He didn't say _what_ we had to finish before he would come with me," Kagome says, raising her free hand to pet the nekomata, while the other traces random circles on Inuyasha's shirt, until his hand stills her movements.

The older priestess frowns for several minutes, ignoring everyone's concerned gazes that turn, first, to Inuyasha, then to the miko herself while she thinks. Eventually, Arae-Yin Nae raises her eyes to the couple, but her words are aimed at no one in particular.

"I thought that the wording of the actual promise was the only importance. Is it possible that _intention_, also, has bearing on the vow that is made?" the priestess asks, almost rhetorically. "That the pledge being made is not completely dependent on what the person actually says? That what the person _desires_ has significance?"

All the living creatures within earshot of the miko seem to stop breathing, mostly in complete confusion. Shippo actually shakes his head, patting his ears as if he's got something stuck in them, and didn't hear the priestess.

"_What_?" he asks after a second, voicing what everyone was silently thinking. To everyone's surprise, it's Surinotu that answers, instead of Arae-Yin Nae.

"I...see what you mean, Arae-Yin Nae," the demon-ghost says, continuing slowly when he discovers that he is now the object of everyone's gaze. "Kagome, remember what I told you to explain why the Canthathirls couldn't touch you? That it was because the magic was very old, and that you--essentially--already belonged to Inuyasha?"

The young miko scowls, placing one hand firmly over her husband's mouth as he smirks up at her, to quiet giggling from the rest of the group. She nods, then narrows her eyes at the raion in an expression that clearly says Surinotu had better make his point clear. Quickly.

"What if...that wasn't the reason? I was making an educated guess, based on what I knew about the cave's magic. But what if it's because you yourself had already made that decision? That...even though you didn't say it in so many words, you had no intention of letting anyone other than Inuyasha _ever_ touch you? If so, your promise would work like an _iremono_. The cave's powers would have protected you much like the shell protected Sango."

Thoughtful silence follows the lion's words, during which only quiet snoring from a sleeping Kuro can be heard over the lapping of water against the black beach's shore. A bird calls somewhere from the forest, which is answered a moment later by it's mate. Eventually, Kagome speaks, her voice almost a hoarse whisper.

"I guess...that makes sense," she says, continuing to speak in an effort to hide the light blush coming onto her cheeks. "But...wouldn't that also mean that whenever we've finished with whatever Inuyasha was referring to--when he promised--that then he won't be able to return through the well? That he will be..._stuck_...in my time? Forever?"

"You mean...the only reason I can come back now...is because I said that we still had things to do?" Inuyasha asks, his face paling slightly. "That because I was thinking of completing the jewel, and helping Miroku, and saving Kohaku, and... That once we've done all of those... I won't be able to return?"

Sango, Miroku, and Shippo turn to the hanyou, each of their faces echoing his slightly horrified expression as Inuyasha finishes his sentence, unconsciously tightening his hand on Kagome's, before he abruptly frowns.

"But...we've done all those things, already. If that were actually true, why can I still come back?"

"Maybe...maybe there's still something you have to do Inuyasha," Miroku says. "Was there anything else you had planned on..._fixing_?"

The hanyou frowns, almost pouting while he thinks. He starts to shake his head, then stops, rolling his eyes at the blue sky above them.

"Sesshomaru," Inuyasha says, his voice betraying slight annoyance. Or maybe guilt. "I thought that it might be nice if we didn't try to kill one another everytime we met," he growls, sneering slightly.

"That would be nice," Arae-Yin Nae says absently, drawing confused gazes once again. The miko ignores her audience however, and simply stares blankly at the lake for a few seconds, before speaking again. "You said that you would live with Kagome, correct Inuyasha?"

The half-demon stares at the miko, wondering where she'd just gone and why she was asking a question to which she already knew the answer. Inuyasha glances at Kagome, then Miroku and Sango, and finally Shippo, mumbling a quiet 'yes,' when they all shrug. They didn't know what the miko was getting at either.

"Then...I believe that you will be able to continue to return, as long as Kagome is with you," she says quietly, oblivious to the frowns she's getting. Surinotu speaks when Arae-Yin Nae doesn't say anymore, his voice almost excited.

"I get it. Inuyasha made _two_ wishes, not just one. They both hinged on the fact that he would live in Kagome's time, but one wish was that he would live there after he had finished things here, and the other was that he would live _with Kagome_. That's why you still have the marks. And why you probably always will, as long as you continue to return here. Because this is not Kagome's time," the demon says, when he looks at everyone's confused faces. "Because the girl can still come here whenever she wants, and part of the wish was that you had to live _with her_. But as long as you _are_ with Kagome, you can continue to return, " Surinotu says, turning a grin on the miko beside him.

Arae-Yin Nae finally glances up, echoing the raion's look before leaning against him and putting one of her arms through his. The others stare in slight astonishment for several minutes before they finally relax, again enjoying the sun shining down on them, even though every one of them is still completely lost.

"Whatever. As long as Miroku doesn't want to know where the next one shows up," Inuyasha mumbles, going back to his nap and ignoring the laughs floating over his head.

* * *

Ok...need to tell you guys a few things that I didn't explain. The jewel was completed and used to save Kohaku, who is with Sess and company right now, who _was _worried about Inu. That's why he showed up at the end for a brief moment. Uh...Yorokobi means 'joy,' and Kuro means 'trouble.' Fitting? Maybe when the boy gets a little older. He _is_ Miroku's, after all. I hope that I didn't make things too confusing. It's hard to remember all this stuff... Feel free to ask questions, if you want. Uh...oh, must thank everyone who reviewed, b/c you guys are awesome! Every one of you made me soo happy. :) I'm so easy... 

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